Cheshire
by King Reepicheep
Summary: "If I were sane, then I wouldn't be smiling." Cheshire's hero's journey/self discovery story. Cheshire is instructed to find (and ultimately save) a man by the name of Mr. Bishop. Along the way, he finds some truth about himself and realizes what limits he would go for his family. Dedicated to Robin Williams.
1. The Difference Between Here and There

**CHESHIRE**

Dedicated (in full senerity and respect) to

Robin Williams

**Author's Note (8.12.2014):**

In light of Mister Williams' passing, I would like to dedicate this piece to him. He inspired so many things in my life and it is with a heavy heart to see him go. I wish the best for his family and may He, the Lord God be with you always.

This piece was written back in February and is about overcoming depression, anxiety and fear. It was written for people like me, who experience stress and mild depression from time to time and for people who are desperately searching for a way out. There is always a way out.

"In the finding of grief and misery there is always the hope that life goes on. It does." -Cheshire Cat, Chapter 11: _In the Finding of Grief and Misery,_ "Cheshire"

I didn't write that because I thought it sounded good or that it was just a forced phrase put into a character's mouth. I wrote it because it's true.

Sidenote, If anyone believes that I am using Robin Williams' death as a promotional gimmick then you have my permission to speak to me directly and tell me that I'm a complete psychopath who hasn't a heart. If you want the truth, it is in light of this that I promote this piece to prevent suicides and depression from occurring. Why would I, a person who suffers from depression, promote something about depression when a person whom I deeply respect and care about recently passed from depression? That's called spite and it's not the person I am. Also, if anything, I have reached out to several people recently (on this site) who are dealing with problems. I wrote this story for them. It wasn't because of fame or the chance to be spiteful. I wrote it because I know that it could help to some degree. Even if it's a small degree, it's still a small degree and that's better than nothing.

Sorry about the lengthy note, but I felt like words needed to be said.

I hope you enjoy this piece and if you suffer from depression or have had thoughts of suicide- please don't go yet. To quote Walt Whitman (and to pay further tribute to Robin Williams): "That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse."

The powerful play is humanity and you have the potential to better it. So in the words of Mister Williams himself, What will your verse be?

* * *

><p>The greatest thing in family life is to take a hint when a hint is intended-and not to take a hint when a hint isn't intended.<br>-Robert Frost

So I'm trying to put it right  
>Cause I want to love you with my heart<br>All this trying has made me tired  
>And I don't know even where to start<p>

Maybe that's a start

-Alexi Murdoch, "Song for You"

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter One: The Difference Between Here and There<strong>

"Why if it isn't Miss Alice, so good of you to stop by again." Cheshire said with his namesake smile.

"I'm sorry," Alice asked, dress a bit torn at the bottom and face a bit dirty but otherwise sound. "you must be confused with another Alice, I have no idea who you are or where I am, and I told the same thing to that infernal rabbit and that miserable mouse."

"Infernal and miserable?" Cheshire asked, skeptical of whom she was referring to. "If you are speaking of the March Hare and the Dormouse, they happen to be respectable acquaintances of mine." He disappeared into his smoke and surrounded her in a rather intimidating fashion, as if he were about to do her in, "I suggest you re-think you're words Miss Alice," the cat said with a tone, "you may damage yourself further."

"What are you talking about? I'm fine." Alice said, realizing that the feline was referring to her wound from the Bandersnatch.

"You must suffer from severe memory loss." Cheshire said, his head only reappearing, still circling around Alice like a blue and green smoke tornado. The cat's smile grew slyer than a fox's. "Surely one can remember an encounter from the Bandersnatch." Cheshire said as he pulled on Alice's dress, "Here, let me mend it for you."

He did so, still circling around.

"What do you want with me?" Alice asked.

Cheshire laughed to himself, one would think him to be sinister. He then reverted back to his normal self as he sat in his iconic position on the tree.

"I request your unique ministration," Cheshire said, "if I am sanctioned to use the term that is."

"What is it?" Alice said, rather annoyingly.

"Now that attitude is the type I never endorse," Cheshire replied, "I may be an astute fellow, but even those with bipolar disorder of the second type have a peaceful median (which is my current status) as well as a set of standards, I expect you to abide by them."

"You have bipolar disorder?" Alice asked.

Cheshire smiled and nodded, "Of the second type," he said, "do not confuse the two. Anyhow, I need your help in finding Mr. Bishop."

"Who's Mr. Bishop?" Alice asked.

Cheshire sighed and opened his paws face up, "That's the problem my dear, I haven't the slightest idea who he is, I have just been instructed to find him."

"Why do you need to find him?"

Cheshire rolled his eyes as he made his way to the Hatter. "Questions, questions, questions, are they the only type of speech that come out of your mouth? Really Miss Alice, if I knew the reason of why I have to find him then I wouldn't be enlisting your help."

"Well you're not getting off to a great start." She said, following him through the woods.

"I know, how about this," the cat said rather sarcastically as he disappeared again this time completely, leaving Alice alone.

"Hello?" Alice asked, looking around, sensing fear in the darkness. She made her way towards a tree and waited for several moments.

"Can you stand on your head?" A voice asked.

Alice backed away from the tree, hearing the voice from above her and saw Cheshire standing on his head and balancing his body like a seal does a ball on his nose.

Alice smiled, "You are one crazy cat."

Cheshire laughed hysterically as he disappeared again, only to reappear in front of her. "If I were sane," he said, "then I wouldn't be smiling." He smiled his biggest smile.

"That doesn't make much sense, but alright, where were you taking me anyway?" Alice asked.

"To the Hatter and the Hare," Cheshire asked, "that is if you want to go there."

"Well," Alice said looking in the direction the cat was taking. "that way looks a bit unsafe, are there any other ways to get there?"

"That depends on where you want to go." The cat said with a knowing déjà vu type of smile.

"It doesn't matter," Alice said, "as long as I get out of here."

"Get out of here or get out of there?" Cheshire asked.

"What?" Alice asked a bit confused.

"Well, you can get out of here," the cat said, "which would mean where you are standing right here. " He said, pointing to Alice's feet, "Or," he said continuing, "you could get out of there." He said, looking around and moving his paws around as if to showcase the forest.

"You repeated yourself." Alice said.

"No I didn't, you weren't listening to me," Cheshire said, "you aren't in the forest, you're on the path, so therefore, you cannot be here," he said, pointing once again to the ground. He moved over and weaved himself within a few trees, transforming into smoke and revealing his head to her. "and there at the same time. For if you were then well," he said reverting back to his original state, "I might have to call you crazy."

"I'm not crazy. What you're saying makes no sense, the path is in the forest so I'm technically in the forest."

Cheshire sighed in annoyance, "This conversation gets repetitive, boring, and superficial after a while Miss Alice so you might as well quit while you're behind."

"Isn't the expression quit while you're ahead?" Alice asked.

"Well aren't you precocious." Cheshire said with a bit of disdain, for he hated precocious people. "It seems that you won't be able to help me if you have no sense of your own direction so I'll just leave you alone." He turned and went the other direction, leaving Alice alone again.

"Wait!" Alice called, "you can't leave me here like this!"

Cheshire stopped, turned himself around and quickly got into her face, "I most certainly can Miss Alice, and by the way you're treating me I believe I will."

"Treating you, look at how you're treating me!" Alice protested.

"Quite right," Cheshire said, "apologies, mad people forget their places sometimes, now what mundane imbroglio have you got yourself in this time?"

"I honestly don't know." Alice answered truthfully.

"Well, that is quite an imbroglio, I would advise you to go in that direction." Cheshire said pointing towards the direction he was taking Alice originally.

"But that way looks-" Alice started to say,

"Complaining are we?" Cheshire asked, cutting her with his smile again, "You'll never get anywhere standing here. Now tell me, where do you want to go?"

"It really doesn't matter," Alice said, "I've already told you this."

Cheshire smile grew bigger, "Do I really have to say it Miss Alice?"

"Say what?" Alice asked.

Cheshire lowered his head in a sigh, as he once again lead to way to the Hatter. "Never mind, just follow me, you're obviously not understanding the psychology of this place, that or you are and you're just being vindictive." He stopped a moment, "Are you?"

"Am I what?" Alice asked.

"Are you being vindictive with me, my friends and my fireside?" Cheshire asked.

"Fireside? You don't have a fireplace." Alice said.

"True, but I do have a fireside." Cheshire answered.

"No you don't."

Cheshire smiled slyly again, "You don't need wood and heart to make a home Miss Alice. You just need good food, decent company, and a nice cup of tea every now and then."

"Speaking of tea," Alice said, "it's about that time of day."

"It most certainly is," Cheshire replied with a laugh to himself, "you're going to love this."

"Oh really, why is that?" Alice said.

Cheshire stopped, forcing Alice to stop as well, "Is it your birthday by any chance?" Cheshire asked.

"No, why?" Alice asked.

Cheshire laughed louder and smiled bigger, "Then you're really going to love this!"

He turned back to her a moment later, "By the way," Cheshire said, "when I said that I was making perfect sense, like always, you weren't listening."

Alice smiled, "I'll have to remember that once I had a child of my own and say to him/her, 'there's a Cheshire Cat somewhere in the world who likes to propose that you listen to him once he says that he's crazy, don't.'"

Cheshire laughed to himself, "Good advice."


	2. There are Truths and There are Truths

**Chapter Two: There are Truths and There are _Truths_**

In a nearby clearing was a long courtly table, which seated eight but only three were currently seated there. Hatter with his outlandish appearance and crazed look in his eye, sat at the head, next to him was the Hare, who was dressed in business formal wear and then the dormouse who was standing on the table in a dress.

Cheshire and Alice walked through the tree line and approached this clearing but stopped simply because Cheshire had done so.

"It would be fair to warn you," the cat said looking to Alice, "that when he asks you 'why is a raven like a writing desk?' you must always come up with this precise answer: I haven't the slightest idea."

"Why that particular answer?" Alice asked.

Cheshire sighed, "Because Hatter is sensitive as well as mad. Sensitive mad people need appeasement. So, appease him and he won't go on and on about how he doesn't know the answer to that outlandish bore of a phrase that he calls a riddle."

"Does the riddle have answer?" Alice asked him.

"No, it doesn't, it's a most unfunny joke. If anything, just laugh."

"What happens if I do nothing?"

Cheshire rolled his eyes, "Questions again, is this going to be a regular occurrence with you because frankly my dear, too many questions hurt my head. But it is a fair question so I will answer quickly, if you do nothing then he will do something . That's the best answer I can give presently I'm afraid."

"It's not a very helpful answer." Alice said.

"Well neither are you, come along now." Cheshire replied, moving forward. Alice followed rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Miss Alice," Cheshire said as he stood at the other end of the table, "Hare, Hatter and Dormouse." He said pointing each of them. "Hare, Hatter and Dormouse, Miss Alice."

Hatter looked up from his tea, which he was presently drinking and saw her. He smiled, "Why if it isn't Alice!" He cried with excitement as he stood, "It's been far too long, far too long!" Alice walked over, taking an empty seat near him and shook his hand.

"How do you do sir?" Alice asked rather politely.

"Why my dear," Hatter said with a smile, "we've already met!"

"No we haven't." Alice said as she sat down. "I've never been here before."

"Yes you have," Cheshire said, "how do think it is that I knew who were Miss Alice?" He evaporated and appeared next to her, "Do you take me for a fool's errand?"

"She should you backstabbing conniving little feline!" Hatter cried.

Cheshire looked at him and smiled, "I'm sorry Hatter," he said with seriousness, "I tried to tell you after the affair that I was only trying to protect your-"

"Fix the point of view Cheshire, and add own skin." Hatter said.

Cheshire sighed, "I was going to say, your daughter but never mind. Perhaps her death was for the best."

Hatter's face literally turned red as he rose, grabbed a large, dangerously sharp knife, used for cutting meat that lay on the table and charged for him. Cheshire disappeared, avoiding the danger.

"You mention her again I'll kill you!" Hatter said. "She was the reason for my sanity, and you killed her. You were the one who made me mad!"

Cheshire looked the Hatter dead in the eye and moved towards him, his purr, which was fragile at first, rather timid, grew a bit louder as his emotions rose to fierce storm levels. "You never saw what really killed her didn't you?"

"It was your claws Cheshire."

"Wrong sir!" Cheshire cried in defense, getting into Hatter's personal space, forcing Hatter to take a few steps back. Cheshire's eyes were complete with rage. "It was an arrow from one of the Red Queen's archers and it was the cavalry that came marching in and the swords that came bashing down. I did everything I could to save her. She lived Hatter, it wasn't an immediate death, she looked me in the eyes and smiled. 'Take me to the neither way Cheshire', I did so sir. Believe me I did so." He moved back towards Alice and sat down in a chair next to her, partaking in tea.

Hatter just stood there for a moment, moved by Cheshire's words in a small way. Hatter smiled, "Why," he said, "that is the voice of a liar! How do you expect me to believe you?"

Cheshire looked up from his tea. "I don't expect _you_ to believe anything Hatter. I expect you to do only two things for yourself: one: get out of my way and two: crazy people don't care about truths and _truths_, they just care about being mad, so just forget you ever said anything about it."

"I'm sorry," Alice said a bit confused, "but what do you mean by that?"

"By what Miss Alice?" Cheshire asked, willingly ready to answer.

"Truths and truths?"

"Ah yes," Cheshire said, "what I meant was, there are truths, and there are _truths_. Which simply means that, well, let me give you an example, "he said, as he lowered himself to the table. "take this table for instance, tell me what color is it?"

"White." Alice said.

Cheshire nodded. "Justly so," the cat, noticing that he was about to become the precocious person that he hates but at the moment didn't care. He did not sense the irony that he was already precocious and that what he was about to say applies directly to himself. He continued:

"but what if I didn't think so? Simply put, there are truths and there are _truths_. In this case, Hatter only knows what he knows and does not know what I know, vice versa. At the same time, Hatter only believes in what he knows and does not consider my knowledge of the event that we were discussing, namely, his daughter's death. Thereby making Hatter a mindless heron who eats half the fish and spits the rest back out. Understand?"

"I think so." Alice said.

Hatter looked at the cat with a smile and did a slow clap. "Very good Cheshire, you managed to seduce her with your flowing words and your nonsense."

"Nonsense Hatter," Cheshire said, "sometimes makes the most sense."

"Then you're no longer mad Cheshire." The Hatter reasoned back.

"Oh no," Cheshire retorted, "madness can sometimes be backed with rationale thinking. In my case, it is ludicrous to call you a mindless heron because you are obviously a cackling shrew with nothing better to do than knit your sweaters and count the blades of grass on your lawn. My mistake."

"You are a fraud to your ideals." Hatter said. "You aren't mad at all. Fake! Imposter! Sham!" He cried pointed towards the cat. Hare looked up and threw his tea cup at Cheshire. The cat looked at him and hissed a bit:

"Thanks for the assist Hare, I'll remember you in the will."

Hare cocked his head to the side, confused, "You dyin' Chess?" He asked with a bit of a twitch in his eye.

"It's an expression Hare." Cheshire said. The cat turned towards Alice and said, "Well we best be going."

"I didn't agree to go with you anywhere." Alice said, "Besides, I haven't finished my tea."

"I can whip you up some on the way." Cheshire replied, "Now there is little daylight and we must be swift to move!" He began to go past the Hatter's house, noticing that Alice was firmly seated in her chair. The cat sighed and moved back towards her. "Miss Alice please, I need you."

"I have doubts that this Mr. Bishop of yours even exists Cheshire." Alice said.

"What? Are you accusing me a liar?" Cheshire asked a bit hurt.

"Yes that's exactly what I'm saying, I have to admit you do look like the murderous selfish type." Alice replied. "Now, I'm going to finish my tea, read a good book perhaps and find my way out of here."

Cheshire nodded, "If that is what you wish Miss Alice, I won't force you into any chicanery. But like I said before, suggest you re-think your words Miss Alice, you may damage yourself further."

"So this is what you meant by it?" Alice asked. The cat nodded again. "Well," Alice said, "I'm sorry, but I just can't help you right now, I just don't trust you enough Cheshire.

"To think I still do, even after this conversation I probably still will. I _must be_ mad into thinking such things. No matter, goodbye Miss Alice." Cheshire said, looking at Alice and seeing her face. A disdainful, unmoving stone of hate, saying to him that she didn't want to go anywhere where there wasn't tea, a man talking to her sporadically in ridiculous riddles, and have logical sense thrown out the window. All so that she could be the dominant in the situation and being precocious and egotistical. Cheshire waited, expecting an answer, a goodbye or farewell but none would be given. The cat nodded a final time, sighed and walked alone down a path he knew well, particularly where it ended, but this time Cheshire felt disoriented, as if he had no idea where this path would lead, even though physically he did, he was just having trouble on the destiny side of the word path. He took his first strides.

"Would you tell me please," Cheshire said to himself, remembering the first time he saw Alice, who was alone, and a bit smaller, but unafraid, when she sweetly asked him, "which way I ought to go from here?" Cheshire began to walk towards a stream as he re-entered the forest again following the path, noticing that the stream was rather conversational. He talked to it, "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." The cat said. The stream didn't answer back but Cheshire filled in the blanks in his head and replied to it, "Then it doesn't matter which way you go." Cheshire sighed and remembering his task of finding Mr. Bishop, whoever that was, and began looking in every direction he knew, including the neither way. As he did this he still conversed with himself, once again filling in the blanks, "Oh, you're sure to do that, if you only walk long enough."

He would take his advice and find himself at the home of the White Rabbit.

The White Rabbit, who was busy gathering vegetables in his garden was disturbed when Cheshire came over.

"Need some help?" Cheshire asked rather solemnly, still shaken up that Alice wouldn't come with him. This made the Rabbit jump a bit, he turned and saw Cheshire.

"Cheshire!" The White Rabbit said catching his breath, "you could have given me a heart attack just now"

"Apologizes Rabbit," Cheshire said rolling over in the air, wagging his tail slowly for he did this when he was distressed. White Rabbit noticed this and offered him a carrot, "Carrot?" He asked. Cheshire nodded, took the food, bit it and said, "Mind if I come inside?"

"Well," the White Rabbit said, thinking of how much time he had, "I suppose you could for a spell. I'll even fix a cup of tea."

"No thank you Rabbit," Cheshire said with a laugh as he followed Rabbit into his house, "I've had my full, besides, I never drink it anyway."

"Hatter again?" Rabbit asked.

"As if it could be any other. " Cheshire said and closed the door after him with his tail.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>"There are truths and there are _truths"_ is referencing the novel Pilgrim by Timothy Findley. I did not come up with that phrase. Mr. Findley did and I am simply referencing his idea.


	3. The Tragic Madness of Nivens McTwisp

**Chapter Three: The Tragic Madness of Nivens McTwisp and Cheshire's Kindness Towards Him**

**WARNING (PLEASE READ): This chapter contains a bit of language (which is why this story is rated T)**

"Well, tell me all about it Cheshire," the White Rabbit said, "start from the beginning."

"Well, Miss Alice was-"

"Yes, yes, I know that part," the White Rabbit said, "I want to know about this Bishop fellow of yours. When did all of that start?"

Cheshire looked up, floating the air like always and flipped himself upside down. He purred loudly, trying to recollect the memory when this issue was assigned to him. He closed his eyes, taking a moment for himself, going into a trance like state.

"Cheshire?" The White Rabbit asked.

"Be quiet Nivens, I'm trying to think!" Cheshire said in a sharp tone.

"Well you don't have to be a sore about it." Nivens replied, "Just hurry along with your process."

"You can hurry for a train once you know where the tracks are." Cheshire replied. He breathed slowly and opened his eyes. "It was Queen Mirana who summoned me to the castle one morning, I honestly had no idea why. I still don't really. I didn't even make it past the gate when she told me to go find a man by the name of Mr. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson Bishop.

'Well, that is peculiar.' I said to her.

'He prefers Lewis.' She said.

I nodded, taking a mental note and then asked her why I was to find him. She didn't answer me, directly that is, all she told was: 'it is necessary for him to be found, he is important to Underland's survival but very specifically, he is important to you.'

I asked an obvious question after that, to which she replied, 'Sometimes why is the answer to why Cheshire. I just know that if you don't find him, we might all perish.'

I asked if Miss Alice was involved in this somehow. She said that she was and quickly left as if she was running from something sinister. Something in the back of my head thought it was me. What do you think Nivens?"

"Do you want the truth or the madness first?" Nivens asked.

"Honestly Nivens, madness has settled in already." Cheshire said with a laugh to himself. "Here I am rambling on and on about my troubles and worries while you're probably occupied somewhere in your thoughts. I'll leave you to them, we can discuss this later."

Cheshire moved towards the door and didn't bother opening it, he just floated right on through.

"Cheshire!" Nivens called, as if in desperation.

Silence.

Nivens sighed and whispered to himself, "I need help with something."

Nivens looked around his house and saw a small picture on a table. It was of him, his son, and his wife. His wife and son had been dead for six months. Bodies unfound, Nivens just thought they moved on to the neither way, but he wasn't so sure. There was no closure. To him, they were murdered yesterday. There was nothing for him to bury, and only this morning found a small locket which belonged to his wife and a small ball which belonged to his son. His plan was to bury it, he was just afraid to let go of them. Wanting desperately to hold on the people he cared most about, but couldn't care for anymore. In this moment to himself, Nivens, the White Rabbit, the shy but humble creature who was always worried about time and appointments, sat in a chair and cried.

Moments later, Cheshire returned, not noticing that Nivens was crying. "Nivens I was wondering if you could-"

He stopped himself and transformed into a trail of smoke, surrounding the poor rabbit in a swirl of his blue and green.

"Nivens," Cheshire said in a disembodied voice, "why are you crying?"

"Oh," the rabbit said, wiping his eyes and sniffing a bit, "it's you Cheshire, did you forget something?"

"I should say so." Cheshire said reverting to his normal self, floating near Nivens.

"W-well what did you forget?" Nivens asked, noticing that Cheshire wasn't moving anywhere.

Cheshire did not respond, he looked around and noticed the locket and ball, "This your boy's ball?" He asked.

Nivens nodded, a tear still in his eye, "He used to play with it."

Cheshire smiled gently as he wiped away the tear and then playfully with his tail, brush Nivens face, something that the cat knew always cheered him up. It reminded Nivens of a scarf that he used to wear and Cheshire, believe it or not, was once Nivens' cat.

Nivens laughed, "Thanks you old fur-ball."

Cheshire shrugged, "Eh, I try."

They heard voices outside, Alice and the Hatter were walking by. They were taking about hats: the making of them, the wearing of them, the particular selection process, all of that gibberish. Alice looked away from the path and saw Nivens' house.

"Oh look," she said with a smile, "a cute little house with a garden. I wonder who it belongs to."

"That my dear," the Hatter replied, "is the house of Nivens McTwisp, or simply, The White Rabbit."

"How nice," Alice said, "I wonder what it looks like inside?"

Alice, who was normal size at the present time, and fairly bigger than the small house , moved her hand towards the door, unknowing that she had done this before.

Nivens, who saw the doorknob move, opened the door and saw a hand, a dress, and Alice. "Why it's Alice!" The rabbit said with a smile, "how good of you to stop by and see me again. How are things dear?"

"Hello Mr. Rabbit," Alice said, in a rather first time greeting sort of way. "pleased to meet you."

Nivens smiled a bit, "You've obviously been in this place much too long, wait just a moment, I'll fix you up some tea." He moved to go fetch the beverage when Alice stopped him.

"No, that's quiet alright sir," Alice said, "I've already had my full."

Nivens nodded, thinking to himself, _"She's gone completely mental! Calling me sir, Mr. Rabbit! I wonder if the Hatter knows anything about it?_

"Is the Hatter with you?" Nivens asked.

"Yes," Alice said looking behind her, "he's right there." She pointed to him. The Hatter was busy sniffing a flower that he had plucked from Nivens' garden. It was a Singing Daffodil, who was in the middle of singing her soprano solo when Nivens saw the commotion:

"Hatter!" Nivens shouted. "Let go of my daffodil!" He said walking out onto his lawn, stopping, standing up, and tapping his foot as if he were alerting his kinsman of danger. A species habit.

"Oh will you relax Nivens." Hatter said as he simply tossed the daffodil aside like a used tissue, interrupting the flower's solo. She did an over dramatized scream which was small like herself and barely audible. The Hatter then stamped the poor flower, like one does with a cigarette. The Hatter removed his foot and smiled. Nivens rushed over to the flower who was dead. The rabbit picked up his dead flower and sighed, "It's alright little flower, he'll pay for what he's done."

Nivens then turned to the Hatter and smiled, "Won't you Hatter?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." The Hatter replied.

"Liar!" Nivens cried, jumping up in the air as he pointed. "You're a conniving little liar. You're going to pay for this, understand?" His head began to twitch, his eyes grew cynical and his mind was completely on the one particular emotion: insanity.

Nivens placed the flower on his grass and then turned to the Hatter again. "You think I only have obsessive compulsive disorder? That I'm just a timid little bunny?" He said his voice passing over into the crazy and his eyes growing wild with madness. Cheshire would've been proud of him.

In fact, he was watching the whole thing smiling and laughing his head off. Literally, Cheshire's head disconnected from his body, laughing all the way to Kingdom Come and back.

Nivens then jumped up into the air and grabbed the Hatter's shirt collar, the rabbit then positioned his feet on the Hatter's torso. "I think you are a pushover Hatter, a pretty little deceptive pony with intentions to kill everything precious to me! You're the reason I'm high strung. You landed me my horrible job of serving that awful witch that we call a tyrant and you sit there still, laugh in my face and destroy my flower! _My _flower! My _only flower! _The only _bloody bleeding flower_ that I had left in _my_ garden you prick!" Nivens looked lethal, his cackled and preformed an _Exorcist_ move. He twisted his head around, smiling all the way.

This is where Cheshire composed himself. "Alright Nivens," he said, knowing what would happen next, reverting himself. "You can compose yourself."

"Fuck off Cheshire! I'm going to kill this bastard and be done with it!" Nivens cried in rebellion of his true nature and accepting the demon inside of him. Cheshire simply watched and did nothing, for essentially there was nothing he could do. So he simply made some odd mental notes as he were dictating, his thoughts were always this way, a sign of his madness, and they went something like this:

_Nivens McTwisp is unfortunately the victim of two mental illnesses. The first is obsessive compulsive disorder, which is obvious. The second is murderous psychopathy which is simply where all remorse, emotion or sense of true self is completely killed off, resulting in the dangerous and very lethal disease of psychopathy. In Nivens case, it is murderous tendencies. But the rabbit only does this when it is something (or someone) he cares about is damaged or killed. In this case, the singing daffodil. Why would anyone kill over a daffodil? _

_Take into consideration Nivens' state of mind at the present moment. He had, six months earlier, lost his entire family to an unknown murder and no funeral. He only has a locket and ball and, while he was outside talking to Miss Alice moments earlier, I did some snooping and discovered an interesting piece of information. A letter written to Nivens from his late wife. It told the details of a very particular flower and how she came to possess it. Apparently it was a gift given to her by ironically the Hatter. Why would he tarnish such a beautiful thing I haven't the slightest idea. If one were to think of Underland as a psychiatric ward , then Tarrant would be in solitary confinement for his entire life and tenfold. Although he doesn't look like much now, in fact now he looks more like an instigator, (for he most certainly was in regards to Nivens' rage), he can get murderous tendencies too, but unlike Nivens, which to him, murderous psychopathy is a condition, not his state of mind. Tarrant is secretly, always suffering from murderous psychopathy and he always has a target for his madness, fifty times out of fifty one it is always me for obvious reasons. _

_The difference is between Nivens and Tarrant is that with the rabbit, his murderous psychopathy is a temporary mental condition that wares off, for Nivens has not been known to actually kill. Tarrant on the other hand, simply is that way and has a rather heinous record. Most of his murders though, are of the flowers. Unfortunately, the last singing daffodil lay dead. I know this, because I am acquaintances with the Madame Tiger-Lily and she keeps a record, I shall have to tell her of this grave news later._

Nivens was shouting, cursing, and biting the Hatter along the neck .Alice moved over to pull him off. "Stop it!" She cried. "Stop it Mr. Rabbit!"

"No!" Nivens said, slowly reverting back to his normal state of mind. "He killed my flower!" Tear fell down his face as he began to cry. "That was my flower!"

Cheshire moved towards them and removed the rabbit from Hatter, placing him on the ground. When the cat did this, the rabbit broke down. "Oh Cheshire," he said, embracing him, "help me, please, I don't want to be alone!" Cheshire did the brotherly deed embraced him back. He said nothing, all Cheshire did was purr lovingly, as if to let Nivens know that a friend was there, that he was safe, a reminder that all of his family was not dead yet. Nivens still had his cat.

The Hatter bent down, feeling a bit sorry for his behavior and said to both Cheshire and Nivens, "If it makes you feel any better," the Hatter said, "the flower was about to die anyway."

Cheshire looked up at him as if he were about to kill him and said, "Don't you have somewhere to be you sadistic vile malignant abhorrent of a creature. You heartless bigot, you who haven't a soul or shred of common sense left to know that he suffers from condition!"

Cheshire floated up to the Hatter's face, and said very threateningly, as if he were about to descend into his own madness, which was social disorder of the second type, which caused him to be rather moody and unpleasant but he also had a slight psychosis problem.

"A condition that you Tarrant exploit. Exploit for your sick amusement, your dastardly despicable and selfish ends! You are making an enemy of me Tarrant, and if you _dare_ strike out against him again, _if you dare!_ There will not be a nice kitty waiting to viciously maul you! I do not wish to inflict you harm, I do respect you, and consider you prestigious and a colleague but know this, I will not be happy if you continue this deplorable behavior!" Cheshire warned with almost demonic eyes. The Hatter was unswayed.

"Are you going sane Cheshire?" The Hatter said with a laugh.

"No," Cheshire said smiling, "I'm going raving mad!" He laughed and swirled around the Hatter in a crazy, nonuniform fashion as if the cat were disconnected from his mind. The Hatter reached out and clutched the mist, which turned out to be Cheshire's tail. Cheshire reverted back to his normal self, calming himself down. He pulled his tail out of the Hatter's grasp.

"You want to kill me don't you?" The Hatter said with a smile, trying to provoke the cat to walk down his twisted path. The Hatter hinted with his eyes that if anything, the one thing that he would do would be to try and kill Nivens. Cheshire saw this and gave the Hatter a mastered Kubrick stare.

"If that is necessary to protect my friend then yes, I will resort to your methods. Now get out of here you satanist!" Cheshire hissed violently and wagged his tail, something that he did only when he was very angry, a sign of his madness, and hovered very protectively over Nivens.

Nivens, who was half way composed, stood up and looked at Alice.

"Are you travelling with him?" Nivens asked.

Alice nodded. "Yes, we were just taking a stroll and we're about to return to the tea table." Nivens nodded.

"Well," the rabbit said, "let me get some cakes and pastries for your longer journey, wherever you two are bound, you never know when you'll be hungry."

Nivens left to go put some lemon cakes, a few Danishes, two cinnamon rolls, a cake with "Eat Me" written on it, a drink with "Drink Me" on it, two cups, a package of tea powder and a few carrots.

The rabbit emerged from his home with a basket full of his gifts, handed it to Alice and said:

"Hope you both be safe."

He then smiled and waved as the two walked back the way they came, continuing their conversation on hats, neither one of them bothering to say thank you.

Cheshire looked at him, smiling a bit, "You have no bounds when it comes to chivalry do you Nivens?"

"I find it better to be generous to people who are having an off day," Nivens said, "I know I am but I'm glad you're here Cheshire, you always seem to cheer me up. I'm so grateful to have you as a friend."

"A brother is more like it Nivens." Cheshire answered.

Nivens smiled a bit bigger as he re-entered his house, prepared a similar basket with cakes, food, and assorted items, walked out, and locked the door.

"Going somewhere?" Cheshire asked, assuming that Nivens had some appointment to get to, which he seems that he always does these days.

"Yes actually," Nivens said, setting the basket down, "so, where are we headed?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Oh you know," Cheshire said, his eyes hinting another deja vu moment, "this way, that way, either way, you know, those directions."

Nivens nodded and picked up his basket, "Ah well, shall we be off then to look for this Bishop fellow in those directions?"

Cheshire purred happily as he floated into the air next to Nivens as they walked along the road heading towards wherever their innocence or sense of (or their lack of) direction.

* * *

><p><em><strong>When I am alone<br>When I've thrown off the weight of this crazy stone  
>When I've lost all care for the things I own<br>That's when I miss you, that's when I miss you  
>You who are my home<br>You who are my home now**_

_**-"Orange Sky" **_**by Alexi Murdoch **

**Wrote this chapter listening to this song. I highly recommend for those moments of sadness (just like Nevins). This song is about not being alone and realizing that you're loved by someone. **

**A _Kubrick stare_ by the way, is a stare given by a character where the head is tilted down, eyes looking past the eyebrows in almost a sinister way. An example of this (and probably the most famous example) is in _Psycho (1960)_, in the final shot, Norman Bates does this.**

**I hoped you enjoyed this one, and please review!**


	4. The Even More Tragic Madness of Cheshire

**Chapter Four: The Even More Tragic Madness of Cheshire**

**WARNING (PLEASE READ): This chapter contains a bit of language (just like the last chapter did). **

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><p>Cheshire and Nivens McTwisp walked the road realizing that they had wondered into an unknown part of the woods.<p>

"Well," Nivens said, realizing that he did not recognize the surroundings. "I'm a bit of a loss. Cheshire, this is your expertise."

The cat smiled and moved into his smoke and expanded through great lengths. Cheshire started to humming a little tune to himself, he even started doing a ballet type of dance with the air as if he were on a stage doing his critically acclaimed performance of _The Nutcracker_, with himself as the lead. Nivens watched the spectacle that Cheshire made for himself, the rabbit smiled and said to himself:

"Good ol' Chess, always in the mood for a laugh."

"I think I see the castle from here Nivens!" Cheshire called. Nivens looked up at his friend and saw that Cheshire was floating in the air, above the trees, his paw over his eyes as if he were Vespucci or Magellan.

"Which way?" Nivens asked. Cheshire floated back down rather angelic like as if he were descending from the neither way.

"Towards the east," Cheshire said, "if we hurry we can make it just in time for supper."

"Well," Nivens replied with a smile, "that's promising." He pulled out a lemon cake and offered Cheshire one. The cat shook his head, "I will have a cinnamon roll though." He said. Nivens handed him one. They sat down on the ground and ate their snack.

"So," Nivens said trying to spark conversation, "there has been a question about you that has been boggling my mind ever since out encounter with the Hatter, do you mind if I ask you?"

"Please." Cheshire said eating his roll.

Nivens nodded and prepared himself, for the question that he was going to ask was sure to do one of two things: provoke Cheshire or amuse him. Nivens was hoping for a nice middle ground because he admitted, the question was sensitive and rather personal.

"Cheshire," Nivens began, "what caused your madness, if anything that is, were born with it or did something traumatize you like in Hatter's case?"

Cheshire stopped himself from eating the last bite of his roll, the cat lowered his ears and drooped a bit, he sighed. "My complex mental state is extremely harrowing."

"Really? How so, if I may question you further?" Nivens asked. He didn't want specifics now, he just wanted to know the extent of Cheshire's pain, or at least, his perceived pain, for sometimes, Cheshire can go into brief hypochondriac periods and when he went into said periods, he became almost unbearable. For Cheshire was the type of hypochondriac who believed that he was in constant pain all the time whenever those periods would occur.

"No you may not question me further!" Cheshire yelled. "My mentality is mine, do you understand, it's my head, it's my head, it's my head!"

"You're behaving like a spoiled little girl." Nivens said, "Rather unlike you Cheshire, perhaps you need to lay down."

"I do not need to lay down," Cheshire said forcefully, "I need to find Mr. Bishop!"

"Yes, that Bishop fellow," Nivens said recalling the reason why they were taking this venture, "it seems to me that we're going to have to ask around, for _someone_ has to have seen him _somewhere._"

"Yes quiet right," Cheshire said calming down. "Sorry for the violent behavior just now," the cat said rather meekly, "it's just madness does that to me."

"Which is why we need to talk about it Cheshire, we cannot go about our lives playing checkers and eating cake. We have to talk about serious matters, your madness, whether you like or not _is _a serious matter."

"Serious matters dear Nivens are people's own madness to which they must deal with themselves." Cheshire remarked.

"If you go about your life in a lonely state of mind then yes, it will become your own serious matter, but at the moment it is my serious matter also. So talk about it Cheshire. Talk about your madness."

Cheshire nodded, realizing that the only way to get Nivens off his back was to give in. _Who knows_, the cat thought, _it might help_.

"My madness begins with my father." Cheshire said. "He was a-a-a-a-a-abusive. Sorry, there are some words that haunt me."

Nivens nodded, "Understandable. Continue." Cheshire nodded and did so:

"He was always disappearing in times of need, always reappearing when trouble hit. Whenever I was in the room he would scream at me, curse my name and call me a: pitiful fucking excuse for a son. Simply cruel that man, but that's not why I became mad. No, if I became mad because of an insult, then I would've been cured long ago. Sadly, my disease carried far more personal than that. You see, my mother wasn't necessarily the loving and caring type either. She was nicer than my father but she didn't like me very much. One day, I saw her talking with my father about moving someplace else, for we were living fairly comfortably in what is now my tree which I regularly hang my head- laugh!"

Nivens smiled, but he didn't laugh, watching carefully as Cheshire described the details of his retched childhood, he too took some mental notes and they went something like this:

_One of the many problems with Cheshire is that he has too many of them. For one thing he has bipolar disorder, which he'll say 'is of the second type, do not confuse the two'. He can also suffer from my condition which I have been told by Cheshire and others that it is murderous psychopathy. I still have no idea what that means even after multiple explanation. Anyway, Cheshire's madness began according to him with what he's telling me now when his parents committed suicide in front of his eyes. How awful that must be! "Grave pity for you Cheshire. Is there-_

anything I can do for you?" Nivens asked.

Cheshire shook his head, "No it's alright Nivens," he cried a bit but not as deep as Nivens had done, for Cheshire had been mostly over the news, and had come to accept it. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it." Nivens answered.

Cheshire smiled, "I'm fine Nivens."

"No you're not!" Nivens cried, "You're obviously still grieving over them or else you wouldn't be telling me this sob story!"

"You forget you little puny thing," Cheshire said getting into Nivens' face, "that you brought up the conversation."

"I only meant it in goodwill." The rabbit replied. "You took it to a 'you' fest."

"A 'me' fest?" Cheshire asked, a bit confused, "what are you talking about?"

"It's all about you, me, me, me, fuck _you_!" Nevins said.

"Nivens, what has gotten into you!" Cheshire cried a bit distraught for the rabbit had never said that particular choice word to him before.

"You have Cheshire! You and you're pitiful sad existence has gotten to me." Nivens shouted, he began to pace, "I'm sorry that your sister was killed, I'm sorry that your parents hung themselves from the very tree limbs that you call home, and I'm sorry that your best friend is yelling at you right now just for doing what he asked of you but guess what you deranged lunatic, you're not the only with problems!"

"Perhaps we need to sleep," Cheshire advised, "it is getting late and soon a Bandersnatch will be coming this way if we don't get to safety."

Nivens sighed in annoyance, picked up the basket and followed Cheshire into the woods.

Nivens can apparently build a suitable fire. He started gathering the tender, the kenneling, and the right amount of fuel. It took a half an hour but it was worth it. Nivens and Cheshire sat down for some cooked carrots and bread for dinner. After the meal was had, the happy stories told, and the songs sung, Nivens fell asleep. Cheshire smiled as he watched his friend sleep and thought of a free verse poem in his head:

_For Nivens, by Cheshire, his friend and cohort in mischief:_

_Oh you wonderful presumption_

_Oh how you amaze me. _

_Happiness, even in desperate madness can be found in you_

_As if you were perfectly sane. _

_You are perfectly sane,_

_There is nothing wrong with you Nivens,_

_Your family is safe, I know, _

_I see them every night. _

_I smile and wave my tail, _

_Your son seems to take a liking to me._

_He tells me secrets_

_Of what the neither way is like._

_He says that the place is wonderful_

_That no Bandersnatches or Red Queens reside there_

_For those creatures are not of that place. He tells me._

_Sleep soundly by the fire you made oh Nivens, _

_Sweet friend who bakes. _

_Your wife smiles at you every morning, _

_And prays for your safety every night. _

_She still loves you Nivens, and she will wait for you._

_As for me, I am haunted by my madness._

_It claims and takes me like a storm. _

_I cannot escape it like you._

_I need you to help me Nivens. _

_For I believe that in order for this escapade to continue, _

_I need to be free of my madness_

_At least, in part, on its massive hold on me. _

_If I continue like this, constant madness,_

_Then I fear I shall go to the neither way _

_Before my time comes. _

_I need you to help me Nivens. _

_If I die mad tonight, _

_Which that could be a possibility_

_Then I don't want to be alone. _

_I'm glad I'm not though. _

_Bless you Nivens, _

_You wonderful presumption._

Cheshire, satisfied with his poem, purred himself to sleep thinking about his friend, tea, and Miss Alice who to him, was still eight years old, in a blue dress, asking sweetly for directions.

"Well that depends greatly on where you want to get to." Cheshire said to himself.

_You have your own answer to that Cheshire, if anything, you wish to be for at least a moment, sane. But alas! There is no road to get there. No matter, controlled madness will have to do._


	5. The Dream of a Mad Cat

**Chapter Five: The Dream of a Mad Cat**

**WARNING: This chapter contains a bit of violence. You have been warned.**

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><p>Cheshire woke up with the morning sun on his fur and smile on his face. He stretched himself out on the soft moist dirt. A dew was on the grass. Cheshire yawned:<p>

"Nivens," the cat said, eyes still a bit sleepy, "time to get a move on." He opened his eyes, floated in the air and looked around. The rabbit was not there.

"Hmm, perhaps he has gone to look for breakfast." Cheshire said to himself. "No matter, now let's see where the little fellow went."

He looked on the ground and saw the disturbed grass where Nivens was sleeping but unfortunately, a path could not be defined. For all Cheshire knew, Nivens could be anywhere from just around the corner to thirty miles from here. Nonetheless, the cat began to look.

He moved back towards the rabbit's house, assuming that Nivens forgot something important and went back to retrieve it. Cheshire noticed that the birds were chirping at him, as if to warn him that some type of danger was near. Cheshire, who could understand them (living in the forest does that you know) turned towards the direction of the chirping and talked to the birds, wherever they were (for he could not see them).

"What's wrong?" He asked, floating up to the branches and looking at one of them. The bird that Cheshire was looking at was a Jayowl, a hybrid between a blue jay and a Great Horned Owl. The bird was the size of a blue jay but had the face of a Great Horned Owl, as if someone beheaded the beautiful birds and switched their heads. Next to this Jayowl was a Great Jay, which was, logically, the opposite of a Jay Owl. Cheshire turned towards the Jayowl:

"Pardon me Master Jayowl," Cheshire said, "but where you chirping at me?"

"Yes sir Master Cheshire!" The Jayowl shouted, standing at attention, behaving as if Cheshire were a military general. The cat sighed:

"It's just Cheshire," the cat said, "now what seems to be the trouble."

"I saw Master Nivens the morning, he seemed to be well, deranged. He kept rambling on and on about something."

Cheshire nodded, turning away from the Jayowl a moment and looking at the road, instinctively, his tail began to move from side to side. "Something isn't right here." Cheshire said.

Voices.

Cheshire moved into the trees and watched the road. The Jayowl and the Great Jay concealed the cat with their bodies.

On the road was the Hatter with Alice on the brim of his hat. They were talking about hats again. Cheshire transformed into his smoke and weaved like a needle and thread through the trees. The Hatter and Alice came into a burnt clearing with dead trees and remnants of a fire. Cheshire sighed solemnly, the memories rushing back to his head. He took a moment to himself:

_"I understand full well why the Hatter wants my head served on a platter. He believes I massacred his sacred dream, his one purpose in life, I had already knew the reason, I just never understood it. My heart weeps as I watch them, standing in the centre of this evil scar stood a lonely grave. A grave with no flowers, a broken stone, and moss. No eulogy was performed, I know, because at I was there at the funeral. No one had the words to say anything meaningful, no one could really. They were too shocked by the event. The Hatter buried his daughter. The Queen placed the stone. Several moments of silence. The party was unaware that I had written a eulogy for the occasion but I was forbidden to speak. I was shunned by the world, a knife was stuck in me, they had wrongfully covered my paws in blood and like the Lady I cry for the stains to wash themselves. They're still there. Oh damn you stains, for you are the bane of my heart and dawn of my misery!" _

"What is this place?" Alice asked. The Hatter stopped in the middle of the clearing near the headstone and removed his hat.

"This," the Hatter said, "is where that cat ruined my life."

"Is he really that bad?" Alice asked.

"Yes!" The Hatter cried.

Cheshire wanted so badly to protest, to come out of his hiding place and say, _"No!"_ but he didn't. The cat simply watched, breathing in and out, trying not to cry.

The Hatter told of his misery, he spoke of the fire, the White Queen, the cavalry that charged, and Cheshire who was, according to him, a victim of psychopathy. Cheshire watched feeling sad and nodding a few times, for some of the Hatter's words were quiet true. The Red Queen did arrange the ambush. The Hatter was the Hatter and Cheshire was a friend of his. The Hatter's daughter was Cheshire's protégé in terms of mannerisms- for certainly, he was the most mannered of the people there. When Hatter got to the death part, Alice stopped him:

"Stop!" She said, "Please, I can't take it, it's too depressing."

"Life is like that sometimes Alice." The Hatter said. "It's like that and you better start believing that it is because that's all it's going to be once you leave here."

"You're starting to sound like my father!" Alice cried.

"Maybe I need to!" The Hatter screamed, his eyes growing a bit testy, "Maybe your father was right, maybe you are too old to believe in fairy tales, maybe you are dreaming all of this! Maybe you're mad and are in a hospital, maybe you don't deserve to be here anymore!"

Cheshire swelled, literally. Angry and turned malevolent, the cat transformed into a large smoke storm of Biblical proportions and wind. Towering over the trees and going so far as to block the sun, it appeared as if Revelation prophecy was coming into truth. The Hatter turned around at the sudden blackness of the day, he grew terrified of the massive smoke that began to envelope him and carry him into the mass of it. Cheshire was not happy. Not one bit.

"Hatter!" He bellowed, "You disgraceful little bigot, has your madness clouded your sense of innocence?"

"Who are you?" Hatter asked, not recognizing Cheshire's demonic nature. Cheshire allowed his face to appear, but his face was not calm. His teeth were showing in his signature smile, his teal eyes were a bit red, and his brow had a severe furrow.

"It's me you imbecilic swine!" Cheshire shouted. "You forget who you are and what's worse you forget Miss Alice's state of mind. Her situation, her outlook, don't you see that she's just as mad as we are? That she is suffering from a disease known as adulthood that will eventually overtake her? She will have to yes, but her father is killing her soul Hatter. It is her soul and mind that is at risk and you're behaving as if she is still the little girl lost in the woods. You have to understand Tarrant, Miss Alice is growing up, and yes she can't be here much longer, but with the time she does have, do not degrade her to childish levels. Ever!"

The Hatter nodded, "I'm, I'm sorry. It's just Alice-"

"It's_ Miss_ Alice you twit!" Cheshire bellowed, "It's always Miss Alice you disrespectful unchivalrous ass!"

The cat looked at Tarrant and noticed a decapitated rabbit's head that was extremely familiar to Cheshire. It was hanging precariously from the Hatter's pocket. Cheshire looked at him, "Oh that's it!" He opened his mouth and devoured him, laughing despicably as he did so.

"Cheshire!" Alice called, crying her eyes out. Cheshire looked over and reverted to his normal self. The cat floated over. Alice shook him. "Cheshire!" She said.

"Cheshire, wake up!"

Cheshire opened his eyes and saw Nivens shaking him awake. Cheshire, realizing where he was, embraced Nivens.

"Nivens!" He cried excitedly with tears flowing, "I thought I lost you there."

Nivens looked at the cat, a bit confused, thinking to himself:

_"Alright, Cheshire has completely lost it. He's acting as if I've been resurrected. It's a bit weird how tightly he's holding me."_

Nivens tried to break free from Cheshire's strong grip. "Cheshire," the rabbit said, "I am not a velveteen rabbit but a very much alive one who is rather confused as to why you are cutting off my circulation in my body. Please, let go."

Cheshire wouldn't do so. He smiled, closed his eyes, and happily purred: "Oh I'm so happy that you're alive!"

"Sleeping is a momentary event Cheshire, one only dies in it when they are unable to expire breath. I fortunately, enjoying breathing and right now, you are preventing me from doing so. Again, please stop." Nivens said calmly.

Cheshire only held him tighter, which caused Nivens to become a bit asthmatic in breath. "Cheshire Ulysses!" Nivens cried out Cheshire's birth name, "If you do not release me there will be no reason for you to be happy about my living status, now please for the final time before you do me in, let go!"

Cheshire still wouldn't do it. Nivens sighed and began thinking about his will:

_"This is the last will and testament of Nivens McTwisp: I can say that I have lived a good life and that I was murdered by my best friend. I'm glad it was him and not the Bandersnatch, let me tell you that. He didn't murder me intentionally however, he's just a bit of a hugger. _

_I leave my house and all its furnishing to Dormouse, for she will make the most use of it. My basket I leave to Alice, perhaps she can use it for picking berries or something. My garden shall be bequeathed to Queen Mirana, she can expand it or dispose of it if she wishes. To the Hatter, I'll leave my clothes and other garments that are in my dresser drawers. Cheshire can have the rest, body included, apparently he's full intent on keeping it."_

Just as Nevins' eyes were about to pop out of his head, Cheshire let go of him. Nivens gasped for air.

"Oh I'm so happy that you're alive!" Cheshire cried again, not realizing what he had been doing to his poor companion.

"Are you?" Nivens said rather sarcastically, trying to catch his breath.

"Why do you act as if you've been racing the tortoise?" Cheshire asked.

"That's the March Hare's job Cheshire, I am a rabbit." Nevins said, "Rabbits don't do anything except for gardening and tending to courtly business." He took a deep breath and sat down. "You're stronger than you look." He said.

Cheshire laughed to himself, "Why thank you Nivens, you're always so kind with words."

"I'm not about to be," Nivens thought to himself. "You do realize," Nivens said, "that you almost killed me."

"Kill you?" Cheshire asked a bit confused, "I would never-"

"Yes I know, but you weren't consciously thinking while you were saying how wonderful it is that I'm living. You love to play with irony and you don't even know it."

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused," Cheshire said. "Do you mind demonstrating?"

Nivens just blanking stared at him. "Demonstrating?" He asked, "Are you serious right now! You bloody almost killed me Cheshire!" Nivens examined himself, there was a bruise on his neck. "Look! You caused this!"

Cheshire examined the infliction and licked it rather apologetically.

"Well," Nivens said, his face priceless as Cheshire performed his way of healing,"this is awkward."

"Do you want it to swell?" Cheshire asked, stopping and looking up at him. Nivens shook his head. Cheshire continued. When he was done Cheshire spit out saliva:

"A bit of advice," Cheshire said, "bathe every once and a while won't you?"

Nivens rolled his eyes, "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Cheshire asked.

"Lick my face!" Nivens shouted.

"It needs to be purified by someone with evaporating skills or else it will fester and putrefy." Cheshire said raising his eyebrows looking of in some random direction as if there were someone else there.

Nivens noticed this and looked in the same direction. "What are you looking at?"

"Who me?" Cheshire said with a wink "oh nothing really specific dear Nivens, just the _tree line_." He did a bit of air quotes. Nivens starched his head, and waved his paw in front of Cheshire, behaving as if there were some mirror there. "Is anybody there?"

"What do you mean here or there?" Cheshire said, once again smiling slyly.

"What?" Nivens asked.

"Only toying with you old boy." Cheshire replied, floating in the air and circling back around a bit.

"Well stop toying and explain to me what caused you to asphyxiate me!"

"I must've been dreaming." Cheshire said, "That is really the best explanation I could give you presently Nivens."

"Well, what was this dream of yours about?" The rabbit asked.

Cheshire nodded and answered, "The Hatter and Miss Alice were walking along, having a useless conversation about hats for some reason. They then moved into-," he stopped himself, for he didn't want to mention the place, "anyway they walked into a clearing and Tarrant said something that I didn't take much liking to, so I ate him."

"You _ate _him!?" Nivens cried out, jumping back a bit, "You _are_ mad Cheshire, possibly the maddest out of all of us."

Cheshire smiled a bit, "Well, we best be off then, the castle is this way." With that, Cheshire led Nivens toward the castle. Both of them hoping that Mr. Bishop was there, or at least the Queen could help. She seemed to know the answer to most problems.

Just as they were walking along the road again, the two friends heard the voices of Tarrant and Alice. Cheshire moved into the tree line and concealed himself. Nivens followed, a bit confused as to why Cheshire was behaving this way but went along with it.

On the road was the Hatter with Alice on the brim of his hat. They were talking about hats again. Cheshire reappeared and moved his eyes to the Hatter's pocket. There was no rabbit head, in place of it, was a large pair of gardening trimmers. Cheshire, in a very déjà vu moment, turned himself into his smoke and weaved through the trees. The Hatter stopped in the same clearing as in the dream and spoke the same words to Alice.

Nivens followed Cheshire and noticed that the cat's tail was wagging and that his eyes slowly were turning darker.

"Cheshire," Nivens said, "calm yourself."

"Nivens, please be quiet." Cheshire said, breathing in and out, calming down anyway. The Hatter and Alice left moments later, this time they argued, Alice wanted to be left there and she kept mentioning it over and over like an eight year old child: in a whiny, high pitched voice, kicking and screaming included.

"Fine!" replied Tarrant, he removed her from his hat brim and sat her on the ground. "Stay here, that's fine by me." He walked away, saying nothing more.

"Hatter!" Alice called. "Come back!" Tarrant didn't respond, he just kept on walking.

Cheshire and Nivens appeared from their hiding places:

"Why if it isn't Miss Alice? How's the arm, love?" Cheshire asked, looking down at her, realizing that he was now significantly larger than her now.

Alice looked up at him, "Oh, it's you," she said rather dismissively, "I'm sorry but I'm not talking to you."

"Oh what has he been filling your head with?"

"He says that you killed his daughter." Alice said. She looked over at the desecrated grave, "Poor thing didn't even have a eulogy written for her. I feel so bad for her."

"That my dear is where you're wrong," Cheshire said, "I did write a eulogy, I just didn't recite."

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Never was given the opportunity, that, and I was forbidden to."

"Because you killed her." Alice said immediately after. Cheshire shot her a glance and hovered on over to the grave. He didn't a piece of paper, he had it engraved into his memory. He cleared his throat and began:

"I'm not going to say that Cyndi Hightopp was a great person or that she was more than just a friend. Those are eulogy conventions. Nobody mentions beauty in these sorts of things, they always talk about how wonderful the person was or how much this person meant and so on and so forth. Nobody mentions beauty. Cyndi once asked me: Cheshire, do you know what the light is like? I honestly had no idea what she meant by it. I just assumed she meant the sun or the moon, something worldly. I didn't realize that she was precocious. I answered her simply: It is beautiful. At night, I look up at the moon, see the stars, and see beauty in them. She never thought of herself as beautiful, she always thought that she was her father: doomed to madness. Forever crossing the path between psychotic and institutional deserving person. She never thought of herself as being sane. She thought she was mad just like everybody else. She told me all of this one day, in fact, very recently in fact and I said: You are not mad in the same sense as me. The only thing wrong with you is that you're talking to an evaporating cat who can talk back. That's the oddity. Not you, I am the pinnacle of insane! You are the grace of the morning. Nobody ever talks about beauty in these things. They always talk about how great that person is. I'm not going to say that Cyndi Hightopp was a great person or that she was more than just a friend. Those are eulogy conventions."

When Cheshire was finished, he floated back over to Alice, who was keeping an eye on a flower. It was a white rose. Alice walked over to the flower and attempted to pick it but she was too small. Nivens walked over and assisted her, picking the flower and handing it to her. The rabbit smiled and did a bow. Alice hinted a smile back and placed it on the grave. She petted the ground like one would a dog and smiled, as if to say to Cyndi that it was alright, that she could finally rest in peace. Alice walked back to Cheshire and hinted a smile. Cheshire purred in satisfaction.

"That was beautiful Cheshire." Nivens said a tear in his eye. Cheshire looked over at the rabbit and laughed, "Come on you big softy!" He floated over and playfully punched Nivens in the shoulder. The rabbit smiled and punched Cheshire back. They laughed.

"So," Cheshire said turning to Alice, "will you be traveling with us now?"

"It's not like I have a choice now do I?" Alice said, "Oh, do you mind Mr. Rabbit if I ride in your basket?"

Nivens smiled, "It would an honor Alice," the rabbit said, moving his basket closer and giving the girl a lift inside.

"Where are we headed?" Alice asked as they walked the road again.

"To Marmoreal," Cheshire said. "The castle of the White Queen."

"Marmo-what?" Alice asked, having difficulty with pronouncing the name correctly.

"It means marble." Nivens said. "Just refer to it as the castle my dear." Alice nodded.

"Why are we headed there?" Alice asked.

"I like this we business all of a sudden," Cheshire said with a smile, "changing your opinion of me Miss Alice?"

Alice looked up at the cat, "Why do you call me Miss Alice all the time, I'm not a Miss, I'm simply Alice."

"Well," Cheshire said with a huff, "_excuse_ me."

Alice looked over at Nivens, "Why are we going to the castle?"

"To see if we can find Mr. Bishop, Alice." Nivens replied, "He's very important from what I understand."

"How important is he?" Alice asked. Cheshire turned back to her, "Important enough that it concerns all of us, including you apparently. Hopefully, Queen Mirana can help us."

* * *

><p>"Sorry," Mirana said, "but I can't help you."<p>

"Well," Cheshire said, "that was anticlimactic now wasn't it Nivens?"

The rabbit nodded, "Perhaps the flowers know something." He suggested.

"Yes!" Mirana shouted, as if she didn't want to be part of this conversation, that or she knew something about Mr. Bishop that she did not want to disclose. "Go talk to the flowers, they are sure to know something."

"Well," Alice said, looking at the Queen, "I would much rather to stay here if that's alright."

"That's perfectly fine my dear, we'll get you to your correct size and then we'll see about supper." The Queen said. Alice climbed out of Nivens basket and walked with the Queen back to her castle. Once inside with Alice, the Queen closed the door and locked it, leaving Cheshire and Nivens alone.

Nivens looked at his pocket watch, which he always carried. "Oh dear, good heavens, I'm running late!"

"Got to play stool pigeon to the Red Queen?" Cheshire asked.

Nivens rushed off, "Unfortunately," he said, "I'll catch up with you later. Good luck!"

"Goodbye Nivens!" Cheshire said, waving with a smile. He looked back towards the castle and said to himself, "Pray you make it on time, I would not be able to live with myself if anything were to happen." Storm clouds moved in. Cheshire dropped his ears and tail, he hated storms and disappeared into the air, reappearing inside the safe, warm, dry castle. The storm ragged on and on, waging war against the world as it opened up into an unmoving sheet of water. Cheshire got comfortable in a guest room and looked out a window, he remembered his dream, and in a strange sort of way, this storm reminded him of his behavior.

Just then, Cheshire saw Tarrant struggling through the storm, the wind whipped his hat off his head and pushed him to the ground. Tarrant reached out for one of the guards help but the guards were unmoving, they weren't allowed to unless instructed. Cheshire sighed, evaporated into the air, not looking forward to getting wet (for he was a cat after all) and met the Hatter in the rain.

The Hatter saw him and did not protest, Cheshire tried to pull Tarrant up but he was too heavy so the cat did the brotherly deed and lay on Tarrant's back as the poor crazy man lay helpless in the mud and rain. Cheshire purred apologetically, and expanded into smoke, covering Tarrant in a protective hue of his blue and green. Tarrant slept in the mud with Cheshire shielding him from the storm, watching over him, pleading that the Hatter will forgive him of all grudges when the storm passed.

* * *

><p><strong>I came up with a full name for Cheshire: Cheshire Ulysses Lincoln Cat. (Named after President Grant and Lincoln)<strong>

**Most likely, there are spelling/grammar errors in this chapter. Sorry about that, I didn't look it over well enough. Please let me know if you catch any, I'll try and fix them asap.**

**Thank you guys for reading and reviewing!**

**If it wouldn't be too much trouble. Would anyone mind reading another story of mine in which Cheshire has a cameo? It's in the Disney section: "Tomatoes in Chicago II: Another Tuna Sandwich". If you want to know more, PM me. (It's a crime-mystery story- the title is an analogy)**


	6. Let Me Cast that Fear Out

**Chapter Six: Let Me Cast that Fear Out**

The storm passed three hours later. Cheshire was soaking wet and very tired from sheltering Tarrant from the wind and rain. The cat transformed into his normal self, stepped off Tarrant's back and shook the water off him. He then began to groom himself.

As Cheshire was busy making himself presentable for entry into the castle, Tarrant stood up from the mud and stared evilly at the cat, as if he were going to smoother him.

"How are you doing you sick pussy?" Tarrant asked.

Cheshire stopped doing what he was doing and said without turning back, "Did your mother teach you that comeback?" He floated into the air and turned around, "Because it was dreadful."

"Not as dreadful for what you did!" Tarrant shouted.

"Still sore about that Hatter?" Cheshire asked. "Are you that misinformed?"

Tarrant stood up slowly. Cheshire followed at met his eye level. "I know that you killed my daughter," Tarrant said, "and I'm going to kill you."

"You can try but you won't get very far." Cheshire replied.

"Oh, why is that?" Tarrant asked.

"I'm an evaporating cat Tarrant, if you're that stupid to try anything then you must really be mad." Cheshire said. Tarrant was, he held out his hands, prepared to choke the living out of the cat when Cheshire evaporated as Tarrant passed through him.

"I told you, you won't get very far," Cheshire said, he was a bit higher in the air, just out of Tarrant's reach. "but you didn't listen to me, but then again, no one does."

"Get back down here and fight like a man!" Tarrant yelled.

"Not with that attitude," Cheshire said, "you're unfit to do much of anything. Let's go inside and have a cup of tea and we can talk like civilized folk hmm?"

Tarrant huffed, puffed, grunted, and pouted his way inside the castle with Cheshire following behind.

The Hatter and cat were ushered into a formal sitting room. It was white, like everything else, except for a relatively empty bookshelf that spanned the width and height of the wall and a fireplace in the middle. Three chairs, a coffee table and a rug were centered on the fireplace. Alice, who was normal height and in normal clothes at this point, was already sipping her tea. Cheshire and Tarrant walked in. Cheshire sat, or floated in the chair to Alice's left and Tarrant sat in the right. As soon as she saw them, Alice moved to leave.

"Stay." Tarrant said, "This concerns you."

"No it doesn't," Cheshire said, "this is a private matter between us, no need in swaying her opinion pendulum any further towards your irrational thinking." The cat turned towards Alice, "If you would be so kind as to leave us private Miss Alice, I'll be sure to keep you company some other time."

"Fine," Alice said rather rudely to Cheshire, who in truth was a bit standoffish, but was more respectable than what she was doing right now, "I was finished with my tea anyway." She sat her tea cup and her saucer on the coffee table and walked out.

A servant by the name of Fuzz came in with a tea tray. He had a cherry disposition and wore a white tuxedo. He smiled at Cheshire:

"How are you doing Master Cheshire?" Fuzz asked.

"Fine Master Fuzz," Cheshire replied as he took his tea and took a sip.

Fuzz turned to the Hatter:

"Hello Tarrant," he said placing the other tea cup and saucer on the coffee table, knowing full well that Tarrant doesn't like to be handed things. "how are things?"

"As good as they can be Fuzz." Tarrant replied with a fake smile and tip of his hat. Fuzz nodded in thanks and left the room.

Silently they drank their tea, exchanging glances as if reenacting that _Citizen Kane_ scene over and over each passing moment their stares grew into the famous Kubrick, furrowed eye brow, crooked smile, the thing that Cheshire calls "the look".

_"'The look'", _Cheshire told Fuzz who transcribed it to a piece of paper one morning not long after this, _"is essentially the face I make when I want to piss the Hatter off. It comes in many steps or stages as you will. First, there's the basic smile. Signature of course. Then it transcends into what is known by the world as the Kubrick stare. After that it becomes the devil. Then finally, the kitten face. You know the one I'm talking about. It's that big bushy tail, the big batting of the large, bulging inescapable eyes that transform you into an awing blob of mushy sentiment. You want to pick us (cats) up, tell us how cute we are, that sort of nonsense. It's not my cup of tea (I take it with sugar, crème, and hint of mint for those of you thinking about making yourselves a cup) but every now and again, I drink mental coffee. Mental coffee is what causes 'the look' it's basically my hyper energetic voice that tells me to cause my mischief." _

Cheshire was in the second stage of "the look". The Hatter knew this and performed his own version, which he also told Fuzz who transcribed it to a separate piece of paper the same morning that he transcribed Cheshire's, not long after this. _"My 'look' is more simpler. Like a composed man of business I start with a basic smile, then that transforms into a Kubrick stare. This is where the similarities between me and Cheshire's 'look' stop. While Cheshire goes for the more intimidating approach, I do a bit of soul searching. I look at you, in a thinking position, placing my hand over my mouth as if I were a philosopher or something. Then I lean forward and play the role of psychiatrist, simply because it's the most ironic profession I can think of for me to pull off. That's it really, nothing special."_

"You're not getting through to be Cheshire with those big gaping eyes of yours." Tarrant said. Cheshire nodded and stopped doing the kitten face, for he had gotten to that point and sipped his tea.

"There's obviously a point to all this Cheshire so you might as well make it so I can be on with my day." Tarrant replied.

Cheshire calmly sipped his tea, wagging his tail. He was about to flip his lid and Tarrant wasn't about to catch it any time soon.

Cheshire sat his cup and saucer on the coffee table and stared at the Hatter for a moment longer. Listening to the fire in the fireplace roar with great intensity, realizing that he was experiencing the same intensity with his thoughts, which were, like the fire in the fireplace, racing madly in different directions. This way, that way, either way, neither way. Over and over like a racehorse running the same race over and over. Cheshire closed his eyes. His pupils moved from left to right, up, down, and every other way imaginable. He was collecting his thoughts, and he was doing them slowly, making sure to make all the points he could to fit his larger one.

"Why do you blame me Tarrant?" Cheshire asked, opening his eyes.

"Because you were there!" The Hatter cried. "You were near my daughter when she died."

"So was the cavalry man, and the horse he was riding, as well as the Dormouse, she was there, as well as you, the Queen, saying that you blame me simply because I was there is like blaming a weed for growing in the road. It does not know that it is supposed to be there, and certainly we were all there for a reason yet we did not know that an ambush would occur or that Cyndi would die the way she did. We had no idea Tarrant, we were just as mournful and disheartened as you were."

"But you were there with her," Tarrant said, "you had your paws on her chest, it was bleeding."

"By an arrow Tarrant," Cheshire replied, "did you take time to examine the body before making accusations?"

"I didn't have to make accusations, I knew it was you, I _know_ it was you!" Tarrant stood up, pointing his finger. "Sham! Liar! Oppressor! Fiend! Murderer!" He took a step towards the table, "Defiler! Devil! Wizard!"

"Calm yourself!" Cheshire said rising to Hatter's eye level.

"Why me?" The cat asked.

"You did it!" Tarrant shouted. "You stood trial you plead-"

"Not guilty!" Cheshire replied with equal volume, he got into Tarrant's face. "I have been with your family for years, _years_ Tarrant. I've been around you ever since I was small, you think I would do anything to legitimately hurt you in any way?"

"Yes." Tarrant answered.

"You're only saying that because you trained yourself to say it for the past eight years. Eight years Tarrant, it's been eight years! Cyndi has moved on to the neither way and you're behaving as if I sent her down an inescapable chasm of despair! I am your friend Tarrant, I've treated you like a brother; and as for your daughter, as if she were my own kin. I would've died for her Tarrant, just as you would have! Yet you betray me with death threats and foolish accusations that just aren't true? Why!"

Cheshire began to scream almost, as he pleaded with Tarrant, crying his eyes out and grabbing the man's shirt.

"What madness hath befallen you to consider that I deserve this? What madness Hatter!? If such a thing has taken hold let me cast that fear out! The fear that I am the devil, the fear that I am the misery, the one person in the world that can hurt you because I am not! I am your friend, your brother, and I am your cat. Just as I am Nivens' cat and Miss Alice's cat, so I am your cat, and as your cat, I am telling you that I am not some vicious murderer with secret plans and lairs scattered about the place. I am telling you that I am not the hungry beast with the number! I am not the cursed one, the sadist! That is not me Tarrant! It is your imagination interrupting trauma as grief and your grief takes the form of me and that form is fear. But that fear isn't me, it doesn't bare my name, it doesn't know who you are! It wasn't there when you were a boy and fell, hitting your head on a rock in the river, it wasn't there when you sang that song of yours about un-birthdays, it wasn't there when you became the Royal Hatter to the Queen and congratulated you on success, it wasn't the Best Man at your wedding, it wasn't there at funerals, the birthday parties, the dinners, or Christmas time or in times of sorrow when you needed it most, like I AM RIGHT NOW! That fear was not there! It was me Tarrant, ME! Cheshire! Your friend who has always been there for you. The friend that is here for you RIGHT NOW. I'm here Tarrant, Cheshire's here, now let me cast that fear out!"

Tarrant looked away, he didn't believe a word of it. Cheshire was persistent and moved to the front of his face. Cheshire placed his paw on Tarrant's chin and forced the Hatter to look at him. "I have _always_ been there for you." Cheshire repeated, "Yet you treat me like the dirt under your boot?"

"That's exactly what you are Cheshire," Tarrant said, "you have always been there and you have been the dirt under my boot."

"You monstrous devil!" Cheshire shouted, "You have let your madness and hatred for me grow into your state of mind. Come back to me! Don't leave me here like this!"

Tarrant walked out of the room slowly.

"Please," Cheshire pleaded, "I'm lost and I don't know which way to go!"

He floated down to the floor and wept in anguish. To him the world was over, all he wanted was for Tarrant to respect him as he once did, to care for him like had once done, to love him. Cheshire wanted Nivens, he needed the rabbit for comfort, for any sort of advice. But Nivens wasn't there, and it was here Cheshire realized that he was alone.

The Queen entered the room and saw Tarrant leave and Cheshire weeping his heart onto the floor. "Why poor Cheshire!" The Queen said, "Why are you on the floor crying your heart out?"

Cheshire composed himself well enough to answer: "I'm mad," he said, "I keep believing that someone will heed my words to be true, that my heart is breaking, my soul already broken, and my head split open. But they never do. Not once do they say: 'Here is someone who is searching for home, bu is like Miss Alice asking directions and no one gives them.' They never look at me and see a mournful feline. They look at me and see the seed of their misery, a walking loon with nothing better to do than to torment poor souls with nightmarish goblins and demonic jack-o-lanterns. They just turn and walk away. Why do they do that?Why do they see me as the Reaper? The Fallen? For my factious crime is not deserving of such killing of my soul and being! What have I done?"

"You murdered-"

"No I didn't Your Majesty!" Cheshire shouted, cutting her off, "I did nothing wrong! I only tried to save the poor girl. She told me to take her home, I did that. I did a _good_ thing. Yet you people are treating me as if I had slaughtered one thousand people!" He cried again, "Must I wash this imperceptible blood from my paws that was never there! Must I plead not guilty again and again? My court has been called, my sentence given out. I have been branded a questionable sort, one of deceit and murderous tendencies."

"That is on what the jury said Cheshire." The Queen replied.

"The court was biased in their ruling and did not see that I was and still remain to be haunted by ghosts and specters; as if my act where done in the dead of night by a vicious knife in an evil courtyard by my flirtatious wife, who dates not me but sinister plagues. My suffering had no meaning to them, I was just a portfolio piece. A jury of my peers deserted me. Why was I deserted?"

"Appearances, reputations and rumors go hand and hand Cheshire." The Queen said. She gently picked him up and sat in the chair that Cheshire had occupied. The Queen stroked Cheshire's back. The cat slept on her lap. Small tears fell down his feline face and landed on the Queen's dress but she didn't care. All she knew was that right now Cheshire needed her so she sat there for thirty-seven minutes, until Cheshire fell asleep. Once she was sure of Cheshire's sleep, the Queen walked over to the fireplace, placed him beside it, grabbed a blanket, draped it over him, and put a small pillow under his head to support it. She then gathered some materials necessary to make a cat bed. She began to sew and knit.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Fuzz entered the room.<p>

"Milady," Fuzz said. "a message for you."

"What is it?" The Queen said quietly, not wanting to disturb Cheshire's sleep.

"A Mr. Lewis Bishop has been kidnapped by the Red Queen and has been sentenced."

Mirana stopped what she was doing and looked at Fuzz with a confused and concerned look. "The sentence?" She asked.

"Death, as always Your Majesty."Fuzz answered.

"Fuzz," Mirana said, "take care of Cheshire, make sure he's alright."

"Yes Your Majesty," he said, "do you fear for him?"

"Yes I do." Mirana replied, "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Fuzz asked.

"To get the White Rabbit, and then, to war." Mirana said as she left posthaste without a single word.

As soon as the door closed Cheshire opened his eyes. He looked out the window curiously, as if he had known something was coming. Particularly, this event. "Where is Mr. Bishop?" He asked Fuzz who answered with:

"I'd presume the Red Queen's Prison Master Cheshire."

Cheshire nodded with a smile and floated into the air, "For future reference," the cat said, "it's just Cheshire, I'm not a Master of anything."

"Well what are you then?" Fuzz answered.

"I good Fuzz," Cheshire answered as he left, "am just a cat."

* * *

><p><strong>NOTE:<strong>

**Cheshire makes two references (more like allusions) to Shakespeare's _Macbeth, _when he says: **

_"Must I wash this imperceptible blood from my paws that was never there! Must I plead not guilty again and again? My court has been called, my sentence given out. I have been branded a questionable sort? One of deceit and murderous tendencies?"_

**as well as this: **

_"The court was biased in their ruling and did not see that I was and still remain to be haunted by ghosts and specters; as if my act where done in the dead of night by a vicious knife in an evil courtyard by my flirtatious wife who dates not me but sinister plagues..." _

**The first reference **is to a famous speech given by Lady Macbeth when she says (during her sleep, for she is sleepwalking): "Out damned spot!" as she attempts to wash her hands of blood (that is not there).

**The second reference **refers to the murder of King Duncan in which Macbeth stabs the King with a knife in the middle of the night. Macbeth was talked into killing Duncan by his wife (Lady Macbeth, who is power crazy and calls on 'spirits' to make her heart evil). Later in the play, Macbeth is visited by the ghost of his friend Banquo (who Macbeth has hired hands kill- also in the middle of the night).

**If you haven't read the play yet, you will. (Most likely in your senior year of high school)**


	7. Nivens, Protector of the Bishop

**Chapter Seven: Nivens, Protector of the Bishop (In This Game of Chess)**

Cheshire was on his way to the Red Queen's castle. As he was walking, er- floating along rather, he starting bopping his head and singing a song to himself:

_"'Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe!"_

"Second chorus," Cheshire said, and repeated himself, _"'Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe." _He laughed and as if having a one-sided conversation with himself, said, "Very well! Third chorus." He stopped himself, he realized that he could never remember the third one, not realizing that the first chorus was simply repeated for the second chorus, and again for the third, but he was mad so there was not possibility of him knowing this.

"Help me!" A voice called.

Cheshire stopped and listened to the sounds of the forest. The voice called again.

"Help me!"

"Who calls?" Cheshire asked.

"Over here!" The voice replied, thankful that a savior was nearby. Cheshire followed the voice and saw Tarrant who was bleeding near a creek. A rock which was large and pointed was the cause of it. Apparently he decided to jump across, but he fell and hurt himself.

Cheshire evaporated and appeared next to him.

"Oh," Tarrant said, "its' _you_." He said with an annoyed tone.

"Oh alright fine," Cheshire said, "you win, I'll leave you alone. I have better things to occupy my time with anyway."

Without another word Cheshire disappear.

"Cheshire!" The Hatter said, realizing that he was pleading with the feline to return and make amends, but Tarrant knew in his heart he wasn't ready to forgive or forget Cheshire just yet. Something in the back of mind however, was thinking of alternatives to the matter.

* * *

><p>Nivens, in his page uniform entered the Red Queen's prison. He was told under very specific instruction to bring forth a prisoner that the guards had captured this morning. Nivens wasn't prepared to bring the news to whoever it was, for he knew that one hundred times out of one hundred times that whenever the Red Queen asked for a prisoner to be brought forth it meant head chopping.<p>

He started going through his phrases that he came up with to intimidate people with, because to be honest, rabbits aren't that intimidating:

_"Get up you wench! It's time for your appointment." _

_"Come with me, it's time to meet the Red Queen and pay for what you've done."_

_"Look at me vile beast! Time to walk the mile and get some 'fresh air'"_

Nivens shook his head and sighed, he hated playing the bad cop role. When he got to the cell that he was supposed to go to, the rabbit was taken aback. In this cell was a man who was in a horrible state. Shoeless, dirty, and thin as an arrow, this bearded, fortysomething human being looked feral, as if he been stuck in a cage all his life.

_He is obviously an instigator,_ Nivens thought, _his white pupils and beast posture accompanied with numerous scars and thrashings reminded me of a Bandersnatch. If there was a human version of one, then I was looking at it. _

"E-e-e-excuse me," Nivens said a bit afraid of the man as he approached the cell gate. "But it's time to-"

"Are you here to torture and tame me like the rest of them?" The man asked.

"I am simply the messenger rabbit," Nivens replied, "now if you please, follow me, for we're both going to have a very long day and a short meeting if we're late."

The man laughed with a smile, "If the Queen wants my head, then she can willingly have it. It's not like my works will ever reach the masses anyway."

"Your works?" Nivens asked.

The man nodded, "I'm a writer, fell down a rabbit hole, ended up here, they captured me, beat me, made me look like a beast and here we are."

"And whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" Nivens asked.

"Well, I don't know if it's a pleasure or not, but my name is Charles, but please call me Lewis, everyone does." The man said.

"_You're _Mr. Bishop?" Nivens asked, eyes growing big with surprise.

"Yes," Lewis said a bit confused, "how do you know my-"

"No time to explain," Nivens said looking left and right making sure that no guards were around. He pulled out the key that he was given and opened the cell door. "But we need to move now."

"Whoa hold on there Fiver I'm not prepared to go anywhere until you tell me who you are." Lewis said.

Nivens rolled his eyes with a rather loud sigh, "Fine!" He said, annoyed, "I'm Nivens McTwisp, Cheshire's cohort in mischief, and page to the Red Queen but I'm really an undercover agent for the White one, and believe me, she's the good one. At the moment Cheshire Cat, you'll meet him later is on his way here I'd suspect to save you but I'm doing that and we have to go before any of the guards show up. Do you understand Mr. Lewis?" He said this rather rapidly to the point where Lewis couldn't make out a single word.

"I'm sorry can you run that by me again?" Lewis asked.

Guards approached, apparently Nivens quick delivery and Lewis' talking were loud enough for them to raise a small alarm.

"No time, let's go!" Nivens cried and lead the way down the corridors, weaving and jumping over assorted barrels and boxes for half of this prison was used for storage. The guards made it to the cell and realizing where Nivens was going, circled back around towards the back door.

"Come on hurry!" Nivens said running, looking back periodically to see if Lewis was behind him. He was.

"We'll never make it in time with you leading the way," Lewis suggested, so he picked Nivens up and the rabbit directed him.

"Left, right, keep going, right, left, and left again." Nivens said as Lewis made the turns. The guards were already at the back door by the time Lewis and Nevins got there. Lewis opened the door and he was met with spears and an entire suit of clubs and spades.

Lewis sat Nivens down gently.

Nivens smiled meekly, "Good morning gentlemen."

"Silence Page!" The Ace of Spades shouted. "Where are you taking the prisoner?"

"Why to the Queen of course." Nivens answered.

"The Castle is the other way." The Nine of Clubs said.

"Yes," Nivens replied looking at him, "I am aware of that, but he and I were having a conversation."

"A conversation that took you to the back alley which leads to the woods?" The Ace said.

Nivens couldn't think of an answer for this one. He simply said: "Mr. Lewis."

"Yeah Fiver."

"It's Nivens." the rabbit corrected.

"Whatever." Lewis said.

"Wow, alright, I was going to suggest that you run but you could just stand there and get impaled you pompous little-" Nivens turned towards Lewis again-or where Lewis was. The man was three steps ahead of him and was already running back through the corridors. The guards started to move past Nivens but the rabbit was quicker than they and shut the door in their faces. When the Ace opened the door again Nivens was gone. The guards quickly chased them.

"Lewis!" Nivens shouted. "They're right behind me."

"I know!" Lewis called back. "Do have any ideas?"

"One, but it's risky." Nivens said catching up to the man.

"At this point," Lewis said, "I'm fine with anything."

"Good, because I need you to throw me at them when they come around." Nivens said.

"What? Are you mad!"

"Yes, we're all mad here." Nivens said, quoting Cheshire. "Now trust me alright." Lewis sighed and picked the rabbit in his hand and waited for the guards to appear. That took three seconds of waiting.

The guards threw their spears as soon as they saw them, Lewis waited for Nivens to tell him to throw him.

"Hold," Nivens said as the guards were thirty yards away. Lewis waited.

The guards advanced with each passing second, Lewis' was getting anxious, and was thinking about throwing Nivens and bolting for home.

"Hold!" Nivens said again, the guards were twenty yards, ten yards, five yards, four yards.

"Hold!"

Three yards.

"Now!" Nivens cried. Lewis launched the rabbit and ran towards the nearest door.

Nivens flew through the air and as a spear passed his grasp he grabbed it from the guards hand and began to decapitate heads and sever limbs. An unstoppable beast of fury, Nivens bashed heads in, performed back flips, and with accurate precision, stabbed several guards in the jugular and using his free forepaw, punched a few of them hard in the larynx. Eventually, the Ace of Spades was the only one left standing. Standing amidst the slaughter committed by the rabbit, who stood there like a samurai with Cheshire's second stage of _"the look"_ on his face, the Ace of Spades for a moment, looked relatively scared.

"Come at me Ace!" Nivens cried, a bit of pride in his voice.

"Gladly," Ace said, as he pulled out a bow and aimed it at Lewis who stood there in awe in the doorway. Ace fired an arrow, Nivens threw the spear simultaneously, and also simultaneously, the arrow and spear impacted. The arrow missed, the spear hit its target. The spear went straight through Ace, impaling the heart. Ace fell face first on the floor. As the spear moved upwards, the heart made a lovely bursting sound as it broke through the flesh. The blood splattered onto the prison walls and cell doors, a pile of guards lay dead with Ace at the top. Blood covered Nivens' front. He turned towards Lewis who just stared in fear and admiration for the rabbit.

"Thanks Fiver." Lewis said.

Nivens sighed and shook his head, "It's Nivens!" He walked out, heading towards a washroom to clean himself up, "Why do you keep calling me Fiver?"

"Allusion." Lewis answered as he followed.

"Oh really," Nivens replied, "an allusion to what?"

"Watership Down." Lewis said.

"I have no idea what that is." Nivens said.

"It's a book."

"Ah," Nivens said nodding as he entered a washroom which was across from the prison. This washroom was used to clean prisoners up and wash blood of the headman's axe. "one of _those_ things." He cleaned himself off and changed into his normal clothes which he kept there anyway.

"Why did you say it like that?" Lewis asked.

"Say what like what?" Nevins answered with a question.

"Said, 'one of those things' as if it were bad?"

"I meant no offense," Nivens said walking into the castle, heading to a side door which was right before the throne room entrance. Nivens, knowing that more guards would show up very soon upon the realization that he did not show up with Lewis in the throne room hurried quickly and quietly. "it's just not many people read here."

"Ah," Lewis said with a nod, following.

"Once we get you out of here," Nivens said quietly, "we can get you into some fresh clothes."

"Where is your spear Nivens?" Lewis asked.

Nivens paused a moment, thought about it and nodded, "Good idea, what was I thinking!? Madness and all right?" He said with a laugh and quickly grabbed two spears from the dead guards. One for himself and one for Lewis. They then slowly made their way to the side door and the throne room.

* * *

><p><strong><em>"Watership Down"<em> is a novel written in 1972 by Richard Adams. It's about rabbits. One of the main characters is Fiver. It's a rather gruesome book and the animated film made in 1978, is one of the most violent animated films ever made. (It probably _is_ the most violent animated film ever made, view at your own discretion if you decide to watch it, there's a lot (A LOT) of character death- and this movie has topped lists of "Worst Movies Made for Kids" not because it's bad (it's actually good) it's just scarring for children to watch...so view at your own discretion, you have been warned)**


	8. Cheshire, Your Cohort in Mischief

**Chapter Eight: Cheshire, Your Cohort in Mischief**

The midnight moon hung over the world, cascading it's reflection into the forest in a blue shimmer. A fog formed just above the ground, if one were to walk in it, your feet would part the sheet of gray and look like an angel walking among low clouds, or a devil bringing pity on the world- depending on your disposition of yourself.

The prison of the Red Queen's castle, was shatteringly frigid, as if winter had already clung and resided there. The clanking of old rusty chains and the wind produced ghosts of the place. Moaning and groaning of the grave, the crack of a whip, the cry of despair, loneliness, and mass confusion.

Cheshire appeared in the gloom and desolation. The guards bodies had been cleaned up, the blood washed away.

"Nivens," Cheshire called, "Nivens," he continued down the corridor, the prison door opened behind him. He wasn't alone anymore. Cheshire however, knew who it was simply by the footsteps. _Clank. Clank. Clank._

" If I would've known we were playing hide and seek," Cheshire said with a smile, looking to his left and right without turning his head around, "I would've counted to ten. Let's start," he cleared his throat. "One,"

The footsteps slowly advanced,

"Two,"

Closer,

"Three,"

Closer still,

"Four," Cheshire's smile grew in slyness, he began to think about what he would say to the advancing person behind him. _Poor soul, _the cat thought, _actually believing she could sneak up on me. _

"Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Cheshire turned around and met, not surprising the Red Queen with two armed guards flanking her left and right appeared.

"What have you done with Nivens?" Cheshire's tone was rather unpleasant.

"He escaped along with a prisoner this morning." The Red Queen replied.

"A prisoner you say?" Cheshire said, behaving as if he really cared about the Red Queen's situation in all this, "My, my that is rebellious of him isn't it? He's always so loyal to you."

"Yes," The Red Queen said in agreement, "yes he is."

Cheshire smiled that grin of his, "I was being sar-cat-stic." He laughed at his little joke.

The Red Queen didn't get it, like most things with Cheshire, she just had a dumbfounded look on her face. "Was that a joke?"

Cheshire sighed in his head and mentally slapped his face with his paw, "Yes?" He said mimicking her equal confusion, placing a bit of emphasis on the vowel. "What you do want from me? What business do you have?"

"What I want cat, is your cooperation." The Red Queen said.

Cheshire's eyes widened, he laughed hysterically and held his back paws, swaying back and forth into the air like an infant does and performed a few flips, all with a smile and laugh on his face. "You want _me_ to help _you_?!" He took a breath and controlled himself, "You must be mad, here, let's sing a song: 'Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe!"

"Guards!" The Red Queen called, "Please stop his infernal mockery of me!"

The guards advanced, Cheshire stopped his foolishness and composed himself. "Now no need to get testy." He said, "Now as I've said, what business do you have with me?" His voice became more annoyed the more the Red Queen's answer was prolonged.

"I need your devilish nature, you shall be paid handsomely for your work."

"You seriously want me help?" The cat asked. The Red Queen nodded, "Yes," she said, "if you don't, I'll remove your head from your shoulders."

Cheshire laughed, loud, hard, and rather insultingly towards her, as if he were begging her to just do it and be done with it. "My dear woman," he said laughing, I frankly no longer care about my life. Go ahead, take it! You think of me an egotistical survivalist such as yourself? No, I personally don't care if I die now, tomorrow, or even yesterday if the possibly presented itself."

"Why is that?" The Red Queen asked.

" Because I have come to realize that if I were to go to the neither way," Cheshire said, "then I would be happy."

"Because of what you did to that girl?" The Red Queen answered.

" Nothing was done, and if you're implying that I killed her then you and I are not, even in the lightest shadows, going to get anywhere together in this relationship. We may have been cohort in mischief long ago my dear, but that was before I realized what kindness was, what humility was, two qualities that you can't even grasp. No, I am a very different cat, reformed, and I will not make the foolish mistake of betraying my friends again. So you are simply wasting your time."

"You helped me once Cheshire," the Red Queen said, "why do you do this to me? Your cohort in mischief?"

"You dare call yourself my friend!" Cheshire cried, "Only my friends and family are given that honor, you do not deserve anything but your own head on a pike!"

The guards instinctively moved forward.

"Wait," the Red Queen said, "not yet. I want to make myself perfectly clear first."

"What do you mean?" Cheshire asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"I need you to kill Nivens McTwisp if you do not then I shall release the Jabberwocky."

Cheshire chuckled to himself and floated over to the Red Queen's side and looked at her playfully. He recited a poem:

"'Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves,

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe!"

The Red Queen smiled.

"Oh," she said, "you know his song! How delightful, do you mind singing it again?"

"I'd rather not." Cheshire replied.

"Sing it!" The Red Queen shouted, a guard poked Cheshire with his spear. The cat nodded and repeated the verse. After that he moved back to where he was.

"The Jabber-wok-ee!" Cheshire said mockingly. He was reciting his own poem, "Ooh, I'm so impressed." He laughed and turned his back towards the Red Queen and continued.

"So scared of your little contest that you play with me."

"Jabberwocky!" The Red Queen called rather loudly, "Would you like some cat for dinner?" She said.

Cheshire chuckled to himself again, "Nice try but good luck," he said.

The Jabberwocky, whose lair was underneath the prison. The large demon bird like creature flapped it's wings and cried out in pain, hungry for nourishment, sensing Cheshire and wanting him desperate. The ground shook a bit like an earthquake. Cheshire, unafraid, continued:

"It makes me happy, feels me with joy," the cat looked down and shouted the next part, "Don't you have some other toy!?" The ground shook a bit more, Cheshire laughed to himself and continued reciting, making his way down the corridor.

"To tease me, mock me, push me around with? Or are you a one trick pony, that bucks, whinnies, and acts like a witch?"

The ground thundered, the prison floor began to crack. The Jabberwocky let out a bloodcurdling cry of wanting to kill this feline for making fun of him. Cheshire simply floated down on the floor, turned towards the Red Queen and smiled.

"Have you no sense of mind?" Cheshire said, "You see, you cannot kill a shadow such as I! Who moves quick and agile, my species hath declared it, while sit there and reprimand it."

The Red Queen hinted a devious smile. Amused at the poem. Cheshire's smile grew bigger and his laugh, more devilish.

"Jabber-wok-ee! Ooh, I'm so impressed, haven't you figured out a way to kill us yet?" The floor cracked even more as the Jabberwocky began cursing Cheshire in his own way, he was almost free from his liar which was his prison and so close to devouring this sarcastic and clever little feline with the poem. Nonetheless, the cat continued, still smiling. The Red Queen smiled too, she was anticipating Cheshire's die.

"With your slime and your grime so damning, you sit there in your head, forcefully planning. Churning out ways which to do us in, devour us perhaps," Cheshire paused, the prison floor was almost broken and all that would stand between the Jabberwocky and Cheshire would be thirty feet of dirt, which could easily be broken through. Cheshire knew this, but stubbornness or bravery took over and the cat remained in his place.

"Or clothe us in sin?" Cheshire said.

The cat turned towards the Red Queen and spoke to her, he flicked his tail rhythmically from side to side.

"To you Red Queen, You vicious creature! You sold your soul to spirits, to change your demeanor!"

Cheshire took to the air and floated towards the Red Queen, who's head was starting to redden. The cat gave her a crooked smile and continued:

"Black heart and crooked knife, you killed the King in the night, and spread fear and fright to all of us! But you are haunted by ghosts who plan to do justice, set the world right."

"Guards!" The Red Queen shouted. "Arrest him!"

Cheshire smiled as the guards moved towards him, he laughed and disappeared.

The Jabberwocky broke the floor and shot up. Breaking his chains that held him there and destroyed the prison ceiling in the process. This thing was large, demonic, as if Cerberus spat him back out. The Jabberwocky saw his mother and cried in despair, wondering where Cheshire had gone.

The Red Queen walked over and hugged her beast, "I know, I know, did the mean kitty cat make you angry?" She said babying the creature. The Jabberwocky nodded.

"Well that's alright," The Red Queen said, "You can eat him later."

"So go ahead Jabberwocky! Slay, slay, slay I say!" Cheshire cried out like a paladin discovering his purpose. The Jabberwocky, confused, looked up and around himself.

Cheshire laughed to himself and continued this invisible taunting:

"Do it 'til the new morning, I don't fucking care! You haven't killed me yet, and you have lost the bet."

He appeared in front of the Jabberwocky's face and smiled, "Hello there." He said politely, despite the hurl of insults. The Jabberwocky was about to devour poor Cheshire but slyly, Cheshire finished his poem, he deviously crafted it, it seems for this occasion, but really, he just liked the sound of the first stanza and repeated it.

"'Twas Brillig," the cat said. The Jabberwocky smiled and the bird demon thing had the ability to speak, he smiled and sang the verse. Cheshire followed suit and treated it like a campfire song, paw and wing swaying back and forth from right to left and back again:

"and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe! All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe!"

"Jabberwocky!" The Red Queen shouted, stopping the good vibe of the room. "He is not your friend."

The bird demon sighed and shed a small tear, "But he knows my song!"

"There, there old boy," Cheshire said encouragingly, "if we meet on the field be sure to think of this moment. Not the poem, which I'll admit was rather degrading, I'll admit that, and I apologize. Can we have a mutual respect?"

"I guess so." The Jabberwocky replied. The cat and demon-bird shook on it.

"Cheshire," The Red Queen said, "did you hear what I said before you started that ridiculous poem of yours?"

"Run that by me again." The cat said.

"I need you to kill Nivens McTwisp, if you don't, then I'll release the Jabberwocky."

Cheshire laughed, the Jabberwocky drilled himself back down in his liar to get some sleep.

"Who do you think caused this heartache of yours? You said it yourself that Nivens escaped with a prisoner this morning, haven't you noticed the number of guards missing?" Cheshire said. " Nivens can slap you silly and insult you in the same blow!"

The Red Queen smiled and snapped her fingers, she had a back-up plan. "Guards," she said, "send me my sister's head...on a silver platter."

"Now Your Majesty?" One of the guards, a Six of Diamonds, asked.

"Yes now!" The Red Queen yelled.

"Wait!" Cheshire shouted. "I-I-I'll," he sighed, hung his head and whispered, "I'll do it."

"I'm sorry can you speak up?" The Red Queen asked, intimidating Cheshire's smile.

"I'll do it!" Cheshire shouted. He glared at her, "I pray you burn you bitch!" He said and disappeared.

The Red Queen laughed and exited the prison, her guards following close behind. "Go after her anyway." She said, "and be as quick as you can."

The guards nodded, gathered up as many able men as possible and headed towards Marmoreal.


	9. Descend into Darkness

**Chapter Nine: Descend into Darkness**

**NOTE: THIS CHAPTER GETS INTO REALLY DEEP SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTER. IT CONTAINS: MADNESS, SCHIZOPHRENIA, TRAUMA, AND DEATH. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!  
><span>**

**This chapter is shorter (like a lot shorter) but it is an important one as it explains into detail Cheshire's problems.**

**(Have a box of tissues)**

**Gislebertus (Giz-ul-bur-tus): Cheshire's father is named after a French sculptor. **

* * *

><p>Cheshire appeared into the forest. A cold breeze ruffled the leaves and the feline's mind wandered into different directions, making his head hurt. He found himself near a pond. The water, pristine, cold, and reflective of the moon and stars. Cheshire floated down to the ground and curled up in a ball.<p>

"What am I to do?" He said, in a voice of desperation.

_"Why dear boy, it's very simple on what you have to do. The question is, do you want to do it?" _

A voice from the past spoke to him. Cheshire looked up at the canopy and saw a cat, similar to himself, hanging from an old mossy rope. Cheshire noticed his mangy appearance, those gold sparkling eyes, the bleeding neck where the rope cut so deeply and stood for so long. The tail twitched robotically like a Kit-Kat Klock, and the smile. That crooked, evil smile that one sees only on paintings of devils. Gislebertus, the French sculptor, would have a field day.

"Now," the hanging cat, whose name was ironically Gislebertus, and Cheshire's father said, "this is familiar now isn't it?"

"Go away." Cheshire said.

"Is that any way to treat your dear old dad?" Gislebertus replied. "You know what you have to do, kill the rabbit."

"I refuse to stoop to your levels father." Cheshire said, looking up at him.

If one were walking in the forest and saw this conversation you would only see Cheshire, talking to himself, providing a different voice for his father and turning his head downwards and to the side, looking demonic as he spoke for him. It is a sinister and rather disturbing sight to see.

"Oh you must!" Gislebertus said, "It's either the good of one or the good of many."

"I am not a murderer."

"Oh but you are Cheshire, you're just me," his father said, "in every way."

Cheshire glared at him, wanting so badly to pull the rope tighter and drown the poor soul in the pond below. "I will not commit murder!" He shouted.

Gislebertus laughed. "Kill the rabbit."

"You're asking me to kill my virtues and invite my vices?" Cheshire asked with a bit of a laugh, "You're pathetic!"

"Since when did you become so pompous?"Gislebertus asked.

"Since Jean was killed by your paws you sick blackguard!"

Gislebertus smiled, "He was expendable."

Cheshire floated up and met his father, eye flaring and mind clouded. "Since when is an infant expendable?" He asked skeptically, "Since when is psychological abuse expendable!"

"Are you blaming me for your madness Cheshire?" His father asked.

"I most certainly am!" Cheshire exclaimed, "You hung me by a tree and forced me to watch Jean die from suffocation you miserable fuck! You stuffed him with dirt and submerged him in water. I am still haunted by his screams, his pleas, you denied him of your love and he showed you the world. He gave you everything, and you destroyed him because of it."

Gislebertus sighed, admitting that it wasn't his finest hour, "You know very well Cheshire that we couldn't-"

"I lost my brother because of you!" Cheshire fired back, "I lost my sanity because of you! My entire life has been governed by your ghost and you plague me in my darkest state of decision. What do you want me to do? Kill myself?"

Gislebertus smiled, "That wouldn't be a bad idea."

"What do you want from me!" Cheshire screamed.

"For you to kill the rabbit, and then to die!"

Cheshire floated back down to the pond bank where he was before and screamed for three whole minutes, ripping his fur out and having difficulty measuring reality from fantasy. The world spun around, the voice of his father called him, beckoned him to kill.

_"It's the only way to save the rest of them."_

_"If you don't, then the Red Queen will, don't you think it's better to have him die by your hand than hers?" _

"Father!" Cheshire cried, looking up at the tree and seeing Gislebertus again.

"What?" His father asked.

"Leave me!" Cheshire cried. He breathed in and out, closed his eyes and composed himself:

"Nothing in his life, became him like the leaving it."

"What are you doing?" Gislebertus asked.

Cheshire continued, "He died as one that had been studied in his death."

"Cheshire," his father said, a bit fearful of this passage, "don't you dare."

Cheshire smiled and said, "To throw away the dearest thing he owed, as 'twere a careless trifle."

He opened his eyes and Gislebertus was still there.

Cheshire repeated the same phrase.

"Cheshire, don't do this!" Gislebertus cried. "You know that I can't take it."

"Why do you think I'm doing it hmm?" Cheshire said with a smile, making direct eye contact with his father, continuing, "To throw away the dearest thing he owed, as 'twere a careless trifle."

Gislebertus disappeared.

Cheshire und and noticed that he was alone, he was lost, cold, and alone.

The stars moved about in the sky as Cheshire looked up to them. When he looked back at the trees again, he saw his father, but he did not speak to him. Cheshire then looked at the ground and saw Jean, mouth packed with dirt, face shocked and distraught, and eyes, those hopeful eyes were gouged out. A raven called. Cheshire looked over and saw that a small pair of eyes were in its mouth.

"Nevermore." Cheshire said and disappeared again.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: "Nothing in his life, became him like the leaving it...to throw away the dearest thing he owed, as 'twere a careless trifle." I did not write this passage, and I do not take credit for it. The passage is from <em>Macbeth <em>(Shakespeare).**


	10. The Looking Glass

**Chapter Ten: The Looking Glass**

* * *

><p>Nivens and Mr. Bishop moved their way towards the forest running full speed and hoping that their simple slip out the side door would go unnoticed. So far, everything was going fine, they were about fifty yards from the pond where Cheshire was.<p>

Nivens stopped, and noticed the surrounding darkness, the sun was going down. "We'll make camp away from the road in the woods," Nivens said. "We can reach Marmoreal in the morning." The rabbit prepared a fire and sat down to sleep. Lewis Bishop took the watch.

Many hours passed by, the hum of crickets, the sweet smell of jasmine flower and sugar water filled the air and the mome raths outgrabe as the fire roared, Nivens slept, and a voice was heard, arguing with someone.

_"You know what you have to do, kill the rabbit."_

_"I refuse to stoop to your levels father."_

_"Oh you must!... It's either the good of one or the good of many."_

Lewis, who was listening to this conversation grew disturbed as it went on, fearing that whoever was speaking was being tortured by someone, a demonic someone at that. He stood for moment, knowing that the conversation was nearby and was about to see if the tortured soul was alright in sanity (before realizing that everyone was mad here of course) when the conversation stopped. Lewis walked about fifty yards away from the fire and saw a lake hidden from the world and saw Cheshire, looking at a raven with decayed eyeballs in its beak. Cheshire said "Nevermore" and disappeared.

"Strange," Lewis said, "I wonder who that was, he seemed ill."

As Lewis turned he beheld Cheshire, who was smiling in gratitude.

"Why thank you for your concern Mister Bishop."

"How do you know my name?"

Cheshire laughed to himself, "You're not that hard to read Monsieur."

"Oh god, he's French!" Lewis exclaimed not believing his situation.

Cheshire laughed aloud this time, hysterically as if he were on gas:

"Non, mais si vous voulez que je parle en français je peux."

Lewis looked at him, extremely confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

"No but if you want me to speak French, I can." Cheshire translated, "Sorry, just having a bit of fun," he extended his paw, "Ulysses Cheshire, but please, just call me Cheshire, everyone does."

"Lewis Bishop," Lewis answered taking the gesture.

"Oh isn't that sweet!" A voice said.

Lewis and Cheshire looked around and saw Gislebertus, appearing with his rope and limb situation as before.

Cheshire glared at him. "Get out of here Beelzebub, there is no place for you here!"

Gislebertus laughed, "What do you think Mister Bishop?"

"What do I think about what?" Lewis asked.

"On the fact that you can see me."

Cheshire turned towards Lewis, a bit confused, "You can see _him_ too?"

Lewis nodded, "I also saw a small kitten stuffed with dirt just over there, as well as Poe's raven."

"What?" Cheshire asked.

"Never mind." Lewis said.

"It seems that you two are correlated- interesting." Gislebertus said. "Tell me, Mister Lewis, have you ever killed someone before?"

"No." Lewis answered, "why would I do that?"

"Because it's invigorating," Gislebertus answered, "do you have a best friend?"

"As most people do yes, I have one." Lewis answered.

"Don't answer that." Cheshire advised.

"No! Don't listen to that blabbering son of mine," Gislebertus said, "this friend's name."

"His name is Francis," Lewis answered.

"Does he have a nickname?" Gislebertus asked, hinting a smile and a gleam of villainy in his eyes.

Cheshire looked at Lewis, "Don't answer him, if you do you'll succumb to-"

"His madness?" Lewis asked.

"Please Mister Bishop," Cheshire said, "don't answer this question, for your own sake. I don't want to have to hurt you."

Lewis nodded and was about to comply with Cheshire's wishes until the man whispered softly: "The White Rabbit."

"I'm sorry, you said something just now, can you please repeat it?" Gislebertus asked.

"He didn't say anything," Cheshire said, hearing Lewis' whisper, hoping that his father would believe him. He didn't.

"No go on, repeat itself, it won't kill you to say it again."

"Yes it will!" Cheshire fired back. "Lewis, I know where this leads and it doesn't go to a happy road with daises, just turn around and get some sleep."

"Why should I?" Lewis asked. Cheshire rolled his eyes, "Because I'm your friend and he is not, I'm your cat, understand. Your cat, listen to me, he's going to use you to do something that you'll regret. Please don't do this."

"I lied Cheshire," Lewis answered. "I lied to him."

"What did you lie about?" Cheshire asked rather nervously. "What did you lie about?" The cat repeated.

Lewis did not answer.

Cheshire got into Lewis' face and stared long and hard, as if into his very soul, as if by looking at Lewis he would be able to decipher something that he wasn't telling him. For some reason, Cheshire felt something as soon as he saw him. As if for a moment they were linked somehow, by an unexplainable plane which mirrors the universe.

"So," Cheshire said, "you're the looking glass eh?"

Lewis nodded. "Yeah, and I killed my best friend."

"You what? Why!" Cheshire cried. Gislebertus laughed and disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.

"It was an accident!" Lewis shouted, defending himself, "it was an accident, I pushed him into the road after an argument and he was ran over by a runaway horse and cart. It wasn't my fault!"

Cheshire nodded, "I understand, where's Nivens?"

"He's by a fire." Lewis said pointing in the direction.

"Do me a favor," Cheshire said, "answer me this, did you have a brother?"

Lewis nodded, "He died when he was small, my parents were-"

"You don't have to say anything else Mister Bishop." Cheshire said.

"What are we going to do, the guards are probably on their way and we're still here sitting on our tails, no pun intended." Lewis said.

"None taken, clever by the way, but I think our best course would be for Nivens to go ahead alone and explain the situation with me and you close behind. If what my father said is true, and if you answered truthfully, then it seems that we are mirrors of each other, and if your friend died by your hands then-"

"I regret it every single day Cheshire," Lewis said, "I wish I would've never started the fight in the first place."

"What was it about?" Cheshire asked, making notes so to avoid making the same mistakes.

"It was about a woman, Miss Delores, I believe was her name. She was a dear friend of ours and we were talking about how she died."

"She died?" Cheshire asked, getting nervous again. "How so?"

"By a Mister Grayson, he was a peculiar fellow."

A voice was heard. The two fell silent and listened.

_"She's the one that caused all this, all of my grief can be traced back to her, without her I would've happy, Cyndi would still be alive and Cheshire would be my friend. It's all her fault. It's her fault, her fault, her fault! I know just what I'm going to do about it to."_

It was undoubtedly Tarrant.

"If you'll excuse me," Cheshire said, "but there's a tea party that needs ruining."

The feline disappeared into his smoke. Lewis walked back to the fire and noticed that Nivens was up and about.

"Oh there you are," Nivens said, "going to the latrine I suppose?"

Lewis nodding, lying. "Yeah, I can't sleep much either."

"I'm having the same problem," Nivens answered, "so want to talk about something?"

Lewis nodded, "Do you have any hobbies?" He asked.

"I enjoy gardening and horses, but I don't see many of those anymore. There used to be some, but I'm pretty sure they died off." Nivens answered.

Lewis sighed, for the horse drawn cart that killed his friend was carrying fresh vegetables, Francis was also fond of both vegetables and horses.

"What about you?" Nivens asked, "do you have any hobbies?"

"Writing." Lewis answered.

"Oh a writer!" Nivens cried with excitement, "what do you write, novels? Poetry?"

"Children's literary."

"Fascinating," Nivens said, "are you working on a story at the moment?"

"Yes actually, it's about a girl who falls down a rabbit hole."

Nivens smiled and laughed as he reached for his basket, which he miraculously still had with him. The rabbit ate a cake.

Lewis not wanting to talk any more, lay down the best he could and fell asleep the best he could.

Nivens finished his cake and looked up at the sky, noticing the stars, the patterns of the constellations, the moon, the black abyss of wonder in between.

"I wonder what it's like, the neither way, I don't know why but I feel like I already know the answer." Nivens said.

_"Believe me,"_ Lewis thought to himself, hearing the rabbit talk to himself, _"you do."_


	11. In the Finding of Grief and Misery

**Chapter Eleven: In The Finding of Grief and Misery**

**A shorter chapter. **

**Inspired in part by the song: "Skeletons" (a cover by Of Monsters and Men)**

* * *

><p>Tarrant, who was walking towards the castle at this point, limping due to his self-inflicted injury was talking to himself:<p>

"She's the one that caused all this, all of my grief can be traced back to her."

He had been planning in his head for hours some type of scheme to lure Cheshire to him to get his revenge. He thought of one. It was despicable, vile, uncharacteristic of him, but his madness had taken over his head at this point.

"Without her I would've happy, Cyndi would still be alive and Cheshire would be my friend."

He made his way to the castle gates in this manner. Crazy, deranged and deserving of the axe because he what he was saying:

"It's all her fault. It's her fault, her fault, her fault! I know just what I'm going to do about it to."

He entered the door.

The fireplace had a fire blazing in it. The White Queen, Mirana was finishing her cat bed and placing it near the fireplace when she saw the Hatter enter.

"Why Mister Tarrant," she said a bit confused, "what are you doing here at this hour?"

"I am ill Madame." The Hatter said not moving his head in her direction. He just kept on walking. "I believe I'm going crazy."

Fuzz was in the next room, he was talking to someone. When the conversation was through the other person left rather quickly and Fuzz passed Hatter and into the formal sitting room. What followed was a scream and several apologizes. The Hatter stopped, turned, and went into the sitting room to see what the commotion was about.

"Master Fuzz!" Tarrant cried in protest. He stormed over to him.

Fuzz had stabbed Mirana in the jugular vein with a kitchen knife. The sound of Mirana's short scream of terror alerted a few guards. They would be on the way soon. In a panic, Tarrant grabbed Fuzz and lifted him up in the air, for the usually good natured servant was a short fellow. Fuzz was crying, repeating the same thing over and over:

"The Red Queen made me do it! The Red Queen made me do it!"

"Why?" Tarrant asked him.

"Why doesn't anybody do anything anymore?" Fuzz asked. He cried, "I didn't want to, but if I didn't then she would- kill me too!"

"Are they on their way?"

Fuzz nodded. "They're already here Mister Hatter."

Tarrant sighed and walked towards the fireplace, still having Fuzz in hand. "I'm sorry," he said, "but you committed murder, and for that you must pay the price of death."

"What?" Fuzz asked a bit confused and afraid. Tarrant kneeled in front of the fireplace.

"No, no, no, please Mister Hatter, please don't kill me I, I didn't want to, the Red Queen made me!" Fuzz cried, he was balling tears as Tarrant slowly placed his head into the flame. "Please somebody help me!" Fuzz cried. The screaming started, following very closely by the smell of burning hair and flesh. Tarrant laughed despicably.

"No one cares about you, that's why no one is going to save you!" Tarrant shouted.

"Tarrant Hightopp!"

The Hatter turned and beheld Cheshire, who was not happy. Not happy at all.

"What do you think you're doing!" Cheshire cried out as he tried desperately to pry Fuzz out of Tarrant's grasp. "Can't you see that you're killing the poor man!"

"I know!" Tarrant said with a smile. "I'm enjoying it!"

Cheshire struck him down. "You demon! Where is the man I once called friend?"

"He died on the way over."

"I see that now," Cheshire answered as he tried to lift Fuzz's head out of the fire. The poor fellow was still screaming. Guards showed up. They saw Tarrant and Cheshire near the fire, the Queen dead in her chair and heard screaming.

"Is that Fuzz?" One of them asked.

"No." Tarrant answered.

"Yes." Cheshire fired back. He evaporated into the air and wrapped himself around Fuzz who was failing and trying to breathe.

Cheshire was doing the one and only thing he could do. He was giving Fuzz a hug and performing resuscitation. The fire did not and could not hurt him. Essentially, the only way for Cheshire to expire is for him to run out of energy or breath. He was close to the latter. Tarrant sighed, resenting to Cheshire's plea of mercy and pulled Fuzz out. It was too late. The poor man, who was so kind and respectable to him was dead. His face was charred and unrecognizable, it was like one of those shrunken heads you see in the museums. Skin completely off, eyes melted away and expression: sheer fear.

Cheshire reverted back to his normal self and looked at Tarrant. "You have let your madness consume you. You will dine alone, you will live alone, consider me the greatest threat to your life because I cannot take it anymore. I honestly don't care who murdered Mirana in truth, I know that it was your heart that struck the knife and it was your mind that killed Mister Fuzz. He was my friend. I was his cat. I'm no longer your cat Tarrant, you have become the one thing you swore you never would. A mad killer just like your father."

Tarrant smiled, "Which reminds me of something," he said, "your father didn't commit suicide, he was murdered, by me."

"You murdered my father?" Cheshire asked a bit surprised.

Tarrant nodded and stood. "Oh yes, you see, anyone can make any sort of death (besides a bullet) look like a suicide. It was simple to do too, all I did was take a rope, tie it around him while he slept and choked, choked, choked."

"Personally," Cheshire answered, "that was the one person I could care less about."

Tarrant looked at the feline, a bit surprised, "Really, I thought you loved your father."

"Love is a dangerous word to use when mentioning him. No, I hated my father, he was a dastardly devil like yourself." Cheshire looked at the guards, "Lock him in a cell. For conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, and dangerous insanity."

The guards did so.

Once Tarrant was gone Cheshire floated down to Fuzz, laying on his torso and purred mournfully. The cat closed his eyes and caressed the body. He did this three hours.

When three hours were up, Cheshire moved over to Mirana and preformed the same ritual of mourning. Cheshire called this 'Passing Love on to Cohorts'.

When he awoke, (for he slept when he did this), the second time, he noticed the cat bed that was beautifully prepared for him. It had his name on it in gold. The bed was blue, there was a pillow and a blanket. Cheshire smiled.

"In the finding of grief and misery, there is always the hope that life goes on." Cheshire said and tried the bed out. He took a sigh and slept the remainder of the night happily. He hoped that he would get to keep it, this bed, he never had one. A place to lay his head, a home to call his own, a place to be loved. Then he remembered that the person who made it especially for him, who took the time to welcome him symbolically into her stead lay dead in a chair.

"In the finding of grief and misery," Cheshire repeated to himself as he thought of this, "there is always the hope that life goes on. I have doubts that it does."

* * *

><p><strong>Cheshire needs some encouragement. <strong>

* * *

><p>Soon comes rain<br>Dry your eyes  
>Frost or flame<br>Skeleton me

Fall asleep  
>Spin the sky<br>Skeleton me  
>Love, don't cry<p>

**-"Skeletons" (a cover of Yeah-Yeah's original) by Of Monsters and Men**

* * *

><p><strong>NOTE (PLEASE READ THIS): ALL FURTHER CHAPTERS WILL BE SHORT LIKE THIS ONE WAS. THIS IS DUE TO MY <strong>**SCHEDULE **

**(College Schoolwork and Other Obligations)**


	12. The Death of Fear

**Chapter Twelve: The Death of Fear, The Installation of Belief**

**(Note: I listened to "_Midnight"_ by Coldplay while writing this chapter)**

* * *

><p>The Red Queen's guards were thirty minutes from Nivens and Mister Lewis Bishop. They were unaware of this, probably because they were too busy having breakfast.<p>

Nivens had prepared the last of his carrots, bread, and cheese. As part of his taste, he cooked two sandwiches, one for himself and one for Lewis.

"Shouldn't we be moving?" Lewis asked getting a bit worried that they were still in the same place.

"We will once we've had something to eat." Nivens said.

"Nivens!" Lewis yelled, "I don't want to be decapitated."

"Oh you can't help that." It was Gislebertus, he had been there for several minutes periodically conversing with them from his hangman's noose. "We're all mad here!"

Nivens stopped and turned towards the hanging cat, "Shut up you cowardly snake."

"You can see him too?" Lewis asked.

Nivens nodded and sighed, "Unfortunately."

"How is that possible?"

"Well when you a know a person well enough, you can adopt their madness." Nivens said explaining, "it seems that I have adapted Cheshire's hallucinations. You said that you two were mirror images and that you killed your friend over an argument about a murder?"

"Yes, that's right." Lewis said, "I would rather that you didn't remind of my shortcomings. It's too depressing."

"Well, you have to talk about these things in order for any sort of treatment to be had." Nivens said, "'Think of this place as a mental ward', Cheshire once told me, 'and you are simply and institutionalized person in a society that brands and labels you as crazy, mad, or dangerous. You need to learn to ignore those remarks', he said, 'because once you do, you'll feel a million times better.'"

"Well, we best get moving." The rabbit said continuing, "don't want any-"

The sound of barking and running of a bloodhound.

"What's that?" Lewis asked a bit paranoid.

"Oh, it's only Bayard, Mirana's dog, good fellow, he has respectable decency." Nivens said.

The dog quickly came about and ran towards them in distress, he turned towards Nivens, "Master Nivens," Bayard said with a bow.

"Bayard, I've told you, I'm nobody special."

"You are now," Bayard said, "the White Queen is dead."

"What!?" Nivens cried, "When did this happen?"

"A few hours ago." Bayard answered. He heard the guards approach.

For a moment, it may be wise to venture into Nivens' mind set:

_We were like Fiver's and Hazel's as Lewis would say._

_Stampeding Death headed towards us and we held our tails. Bayard lead us down the road, the steed of noble stature, Lewis once again carried me but tripped over a tree root. His foot bore a scrape. He still had no shoes._

_Mirana dead? I don't think I'll be able to fully comprehend that. Cheshire must be heartbroken. Tarrant surely is. He loved her most. Alice, I'm not sure of. She seems to me rather indifferent about this place than she was before. As Tarrant used to say, she has lost her 'muchness'. A very difficult thing to regain, but I have faith in her. I really do. I am the White Rabbit after all, the obsessive compulsive time obsessed member of the Oryctolagus cuniculus family of creatures, who at this moment is being hauled and staring at the face of death._

_Always be optimistic when faced with opposition and stride for the death of fear and the installation of belief._

_I can be philosophical and inspirational too._

Running through the forest towards Marmoreal, the man, rabbit, and dog were chased ever so closely by the Red Queen's 40th Battalion of Red Hearts and Black Spades; or _40 B RHBS_ for short. They were armed with spears, bows, javelins, swords, and all sorts of weaponry that would strike fear into the hearts of the unarmed or innocent.

The guards were seventy yards. Eighty yards. Sixty. Forty.

At ten yards the Ace of Spades called the halt, they let them run a bit. When they were roughly thirty yards away Ace raised his arm. The archers raised their bows and readied themselves. Some with flaming, others razor sharp, arrows they released. A firebird rose from the Earth, spreading it's wings and taking flight, unleashing it's havoc among the ground, the forest, which caught on fire in some places, and screeching the call of despair, casting fear into the world. The first barrage fell around and near the running away party.

"They're shooting at us!" Lewis cried.

"Oh really?" Bayard said, dodging arrows, "I haven't noticed."

"Alright Mr. Sarcastic," Lewis replied, "I just stating an observation."

"Well you both be quiet and just run!" Nivens said.

More arrows, this was the second offense from the phoenix, this time a wind assisted her in a sweeping motion, forcing the fire and brimstone to be more precise in target. An arrow whizzed through the air and almost impaled Lewis' heel.

Lewis ran harder. His lungs were about to explode but he didn't care. He had Nivens on his back, who was slipping from the strain of being held too long and Bayard, being himself was running beside them making sure they were alright. Nivens fell to the ground. The sweat on Lewis' hand was too great and too much for the rabbit to hold on and for the man to hold on so the rabbit slipped and fell in a rehearsed sort of way. Landing on his side, Nivens' faced the 40 B RHBS and looked at what he considered to be the lesser of the three evils. One being the Red Queen, two being the Jabberwocky, and three being the Guards who were 'just following orders'.

The barrage of arrows stopped. The guards readied themselves for a charge.

Lewis and Bayard stopped and looked back at Nivens.

"Go on without me," Nivens said.

"No McTwisp, I was instructed to bring you back safe." Bayard said.

"Under the given circumstances you won't be able to." Nivens replied, "Get him out of here. I'll distract them long enough for you to at least get a head start."

"You that this is suicide right!" Lewis said.

"No, it's called being a friend, suicide is personal, selfish and crass, you picking me up is crazy, they will charge and kill you before you could even move. So go Master Bishop."

"Nivens," Bayard said, "I'm not going to leave you."

"Yes you will now go before they-"

"Charge!" The Ace said, who unsheathed his sword and advanced. He was followed by his legion. A legion who carried slaves to a system of German proportions.

Nivens prepared himself for the end, "Go Mister Bishop." He said.

"Nivens, I-"

"Yes, yes. Now go!" The rabbit said without looking at him. Lewis hesitated again, Bayard tugged at Lewis' shirt with his mouth, urging him to move. The man wouldn't. The rabbit was three yards away and the guards were thirty, he could make it. The guards were ten yards away, Lewis could make it. Still he didn't noting.

"Nivens!" Lewis cried. "You don't have to do this!"

"Too late!" Nivens said and charged towards an innumerable sea of terror and mass confusion. Lewis was three seconds from charging in after but Bayard continued with his convincing and was off again. Lewis and Bayard didn't look back. Nivens didn't look back either.

* * *

><p>Alice came in when the sun rose. Cheshire was negotiating matters with Kovacs, the new head servant of the place. They were discussing the heir to the throne:<p>

"You should be King," Kovacs said.

"That would be preposterous and besides, I would deny it." Cheshire said. "If anything it should be Miss Alice."

"Alice?" Kovacs said. "Why should she lead us?"

"She was brought here for a reason."

"Yes," Kovacs replied, "only because of you. Wasn't it you who told McTwisp to go up there and retrieve her the first time?"

Alice caught note of this and walked in on the conversation, her blue eyes which matched her blue dress were confused, as if she just assumed that she just stumbled upon McTwisp out of mere chance.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, "but what are you two talking about?"

"Oh, Miss Alice!" Cheshire said with a smile, "how are you this morning?"

"Fine I guess, where's the White Queen I need to speak with her?"

Cheshire sighed floated over to her and placed a paw on her shoulder, his eyes sympathetic, sorrowful, as if he couldn't say the words that spoke of the truth (to him at least), it pained him the more distance time brought. Cheshire hadn't cried yet, but he knew that at some point today he would.

"She has gone into the neither way dear one," Cheshire said, his fatherly voice coming out, "I'm sorry."

"Oh my goodness," Alice said, "how did it happen?"

"Betrayal." The simplest answer the cat could give her.

The Head Guard, known as The Centaur through the land, but his real name was Aurelius, entered. He was dressed in a similar fashion of the Roman Legion.

Around Aurelius' head was a chain male coif that covered the sides and top. The stereotypical armet, which was the helmet that you typically think of when you hear the word 'knight' was on top of this.

A steel chest and back plate, known as the curiass, which bore a faded hand carved seal of Underland on the front. The seal was simply the castle in front of a gleaming sun and the motto _'Adlevo'_written with a graceful, calligraphic hand.

The chain male underneath the chest plate which made the rest of the torso and arms of Aurelius' uniform was in favorable condition. There was also faulds, which protect the waist, hips, and groin as well as chausses which was male that covered the legs. Aurelius' feet were covered by sabatons, or steel boots.

"Sires," he said, addressing all three of them, "Bayard is en route, Mister Bishop and Nivens are with them but the Red Guards are the way. Should we pursue?"

"What a mornic question of course pursue Captain!" Cheshire cried.

Moments later, Bayard came out of the forest and up the road, the guards were nowhere to be seen. Lewis hastily followed him.

The bloodhound stopped to catch his breath. "You alright sir?" He asked. Lewis nodded, his heart was pounding, his head was throbbing and his mind was confused besides the headache, but he was able to walk. Bayard and Lewis entered the castle.

"Oh," Alice said upon the entrance of Mister Bishop, "who is this?" she asked with a smile.

"Lewis Bishop ma'am." Lewis answered for himself.

"Is this the one you were talking about?" Alice said turning to Cheshire. Cheshire nodded.

"Glad to see you've made it," Cheshire said with a smile, he talked, acted, and behaved very much like a King. "Where is Nivens?"

Lewis couldn't speak, he was out of breath. Bayard answered for him:

"He was left behind Mister Cheshire."

"Left behind?" Cheshire asked, a bit confused, "what do you mean?"

"Exactly what I say sir, Nivens was left behind."

"You left him there against the Red Guards!" Cheshire cried in great disapproval, he was about to be raging mad when Bayard barked at him.

"Cheshire!" The dog cried out, "I didn't want to, it was he who made the decision, besides, we didn't have a choice."

"That is a liar's excuse," Cheshire said, "you always have a choice."

"We would've died Cheshire." Lewis said.

"So," Cheshire said with a sigh, "this is my horse cart then?"

"I'm afraid so." Lewis replied.

"How could that be so?" Cheshire asked, remembering Lewis' circumstances and the parallels between them. "We haven't had an argument yet. There is still hope in grief! Horrah, oh jubilee, C'est un jour heureux!"

Cheshire quickly translated once his excitement withered down: "Oh what a happy day! This is glorious news, I shall save him, prevent the argument and stop my grief from taking place. Perfect." The cat floated towards Lewis:

"You my fine fellow have saved me from my undoing, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes," Lewis said, rather gravely, "save me from mine."

Cheshire drooped his ears, his smile faded, his tail sagged, sullenness was written all over his face.

"Go save your friend Cheshire, before it's too late." Lewis said, "I'll be waiting here for you."

Cheshire disappeared, feeling guilty and selfish. It did not come across his mind that Lewis Bishop was still in the bargaining stage of grief, and Cheshire feared that Lewis might never enter into the acceptance (skipping depression hopefully) and move on with his life. Cheshire, when he looked into Lewis' eyes before he left, understood completely- Nivens was alone, Lewis was alone and Tarrant was alone, they were all going through the same tribulation. Dealing with loss and not getting over it.

_Time to be a therapist._

Cheshire thought as he appeared to where he thought Nivens was. When he saw Nivens several feet away, all Cheshire could do float to the ground and pass love onto his cohort.

* * *

><p><em>If I die mad tonight,<em>

_Which that could be a possibility_

_Then I don't want to be alone._

_I'm glad I'm not though._

_Bless you Nivens,_

_You wonderful presumption._

"You're not alone Nivens," Cheshire said quietly to himself, hoping for a miracle, seeing the destruction of the firebird, and it's ashes spread across the rabbit.

"you're never alone. Your cat is waiting for his rabbit to wake up. Get up Nivens."

No response.

"Get up Nivens!" Cheshire said a bit louder.

Silence again. The neglected canyons of Cheshire's childhood that flowed constant tears, once again flowed enough salt bitter water to fill an entire wash basin.

"NIVENS WAKE UP DAMN IT!" Cheshire screamed to the world, he didn't care about the curse because he needed to. He needed to cry, to grieve, to make a new being of himself- for that is what grief and pain are really- chances to remake yourself. Out of thin air, Cheshire sang a few verses of a song that he never heard before. He knew that in his gut that it was a song somewhere, but his head perceived it as a poem that his mother told him once.

When he was finished, the cat simply waited for his rabbit.


	13. The Love of Brothers

**Chapter Thirteen: The Love of Brothers**

* * *

><p>Nivens stood in the road as the guards charged towards him.<p>

_The phoenix rises to bid the world farewell. _He thought.

The earth shook beneath him, the rabbit, as if a furious fire were coming from below, ready to consume.

Nivens smiled that smile that one gives when you are ready to accept the world's path but choose another.

_Against the grain you find splinter. _

Spears were thrown towards the rabbit and some choose to ignore him, continuing on. A spear passed above his head, it was Ace, who carried The Spear of Red Justice, and it was this spear that Nivens caught with his paws and fought gallantly with. As if his murderous psychopathy had resurfaced he stormed the castle, slaughtered one head of the tri-headed hydra, the ground forces of despair had yet been beaten but Ace knew that it was over. He knew because when he saw Nivens, he saw the end of his civilization, his way of living, and his life, flash before him. Nivens stabbed as many as he could in the groin and neck, for the spear was that long. Those who walked past him, the rabbit figured, could be handled by Aurelius and his men, for they have never lost a battle, and they certainly weren't going to lose one now.

The Seven of Spades, the Nine of Hearts, and the Ten of Spades, crowded the rabbit and circled him. They all had spears and were about to lift the dark veil upon Nivens McTwisp and send up to the neither way.

"Wait."

Seven, Nine, and Ten stopped. Ace stepped forward and entered the vicious circle. The rest of the guards stopped.

Ace turned to them, "Continue on." He said. The rest of his battalion moved with oblivion behind them and misery in front.

"Don't you know that it is customary for me to be present at executions?" Ace said. "Do you have any last words rabbit?"

Nivens nodded. "'Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe!" He closed his eyes and thought:

_I wonder what the neither way is like? _

He was impaled only once. Ace grabbed his spear from the rabbit and preformed it. The others did nothing. They met their battalion who waited for them up the road and continued the road.

Nivens had a spear in his left leg. He fell to the ground, slowly, his breath slowed as he tried to conserve his energy. He collapsed.

_Remember I have done thee worthy service. Remember I have done thee worthy service. _

_At least, that's on what I'll say to myself._

_Remember I have done thee worthy service. _

_As if that's supposed to make things easier. Make things bearable. How can it? How can words help me now? I need a doctor but none shall come. I need a friend, but none is near. I need a savior, but I don't know where he is._

For a long while Nivens tried to remove the spear from his leg and was successful about the sixty-seventh pull. The whole weapon came out thankfully. The only downside was that he was in more pain and bleeding out more than before.

_Hours have past, eternities, lives, all past by me. I am on the road, the end of it to be specific. _

_"I need help with something." Cheshire isn't coming back this time. I shall be dead before he realizes my missing from Mister Lewis and Bayard. Am I content in leaving? No. Shall I find sympathy in death? Probably not. Will I be remembered? A question for the ages. Will I be remembered? Most likely- not. _

Nivens cried his tears and wept. The salted bitter water ran down his face, onto his whiskers, and fell on the ground.

A soft voice was heard.

"Nivens?"

Nivens looked up and saw his father, Barnabas, who was known throughout the wood as Barney, stood in a white waistcoat and silver pocket watch. He was white like his son but had a few gray hairs. Barney had been dead for fifteen years.

"Who did this to you?"

"My friend did this to me." Nivens answered. He thought he heard footsteps approach and saw for a moment, Tarrant, or at least, he thought he saw him.

"You did this to me!" Nivens cried. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

Tarrant grabbed the spear and stabbed Nivens again and again and a third, a forth, a fifth, all minor cuts but enough to cause the rabbit severe pain. In reality, it was Ace, who had returned to check and see if the poor creature was alive or not.

"The bell summons me. I beg you not hear it, for it summons you to life or death. To paraphrase a poet." Ace replied.

"He was a fool's errand who lost his head." Nivens smiled, "Ha! He lost his head. That's amusing."

"You find me amusing?"

"I find you appalling and repulsive, if you want to kill me, why not make it a public execution?" Nivens asked, his voice growing weaker from the injuries.

Ace was about to do the poor creature in when he realized something, a vital detail. "Your journey is not yet over dear rabbit," he said, "you still have him to save you and you still have _it_ to deal with."

"What do you mean I still have _it _to deal with?"

Ace smiled and walked away, "'Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe!"

Nivens nodded, sighed, "Of course the devil himself is involved." He closed his eyes. "Cheshire, not to be a hurrying miser, but if you could save me from bleeding out completely I would very much like to keep on living and see this through with you. I'm not ready to go to the neither way yet."

Nivens looked towards his father who said:

"Yes you are."

"I'm needed here father." Nivens answered.

"No, you're not, not anymore."

"What are you doing?" Nivens asked as he was being lifted up towards light. "No, I don't want to go yet."

"You have to." Barney said.

"No, I don't want to!"

As he fought, he saw Cheshire appear and look solemn.

"Cheshire!" The rabbit cried out. "I'm alive, well, sort of, but you need to help me!" The cat didn't answer him. He couldn't hear him.

"Cheshire!" Nivens cried out again. "Come on Nivens, wake up, wake up, wake up!"

_" You're not alone Nivens,_ _you're never alone. Your cat is waiting for his rabbit to wake up. Get up Nivens."_

"That's it Cheshire," Nivens said as his father still pulled him. "Wake me up."

_"Get up Nivens!"_

Nivens pushed hard back towards his body. Barney pushed a bit harder.

"I'm, not, going!" Nivens protested again.

"You have to!" Barney said and pulled his son hard towards the light.

"Not," Nivens pulled harder, seeing Cheshire appear gave him hope that he could be useful, that he could offer something, that he couldn't give up on him just yet. His cat needed him he needed his cat.

"Cheshire, call me again, call my name again!"

_"NIVENS WAKE UP DAMN IT!" _Cheshire screamed almost as a response.

The rabbit made one final push. The tug of war was just about to be over, he was about to be free of his father's influence. Then Cheshire started to sing a rather depressing and mournful song.

"Cheshire," Nivens said, a bit discouraged, "what are you doing?"

Barney pulled back, Nivens lost an inch. Nivens pulled again, he gained a centimeter. The song was killing him. It was preventing his quest.

"Cheshire," the rabbit said to him, "stop singing. I need you to help me!"

Cheshire continued the song, causing Barney to pull his son back, further, and further, and further.

"Cheshire!" Nivens cried, "I'm your rabbit Cheshire, I'm your rabbit!"

Cheshire sat down and waited for him. The song was over. Nivens tried again, puling and fighting his father's grasp. Barney was so close to his son being reunited with him. The father protested:

"Your time is done Nivens! "

"No, only a bump in the road father, can't you see that my friends and country need me? That I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I go with you. I would never be happy."

Barney looked back at Cheshire for the first time, seeing the cat throw himself on top of Nivens in a loving, protective, and sorrowful way, as if he were entering the bargaining stage of grief, wondering what he could have done to save him, help him, prevent the loss of his brother, his rabbit, and his greatest advocator.

Barney did not to prevent Nivens after this.

Nivens walked back over to his body and entered it. He looked over to his father and smiled with a slight nod, "To quote a poet," Nivens said, "This gentleman is happily arrived, my mind presumes, for his own good and ours."

Barney smiled. "Who am I to disrupt the love of brothers?" He said and disappeared into the colors of the sky.

* * *

><p><strong>The bell summons me. I beg you not hear it, for it summons you to life or death. (<span>Paraphrase<span> from Shakespeare's _Macbeth. Act Two, Scene 1)_**

**This gentleman is happily arrived, my mind presumes, for his own good and ours. (Direct quote from Shakespeare's _The Taming of the Shrew. Act One, Scene 2)_**


	14. The Flies on the Windowsill

**Chapter Fourteen: The Flies on the Windowsill**

**NOTE: This chapter contains one instance of language.**

* * *

><p>Aurelius, Bayard, and the Marmoreal Guard, which amounted to fifty-seven, prepared the door for assault.<p>

Bayard, who was on the front line next to Aurelius looked up in the man and saw fear in his eyes.

"Don't worry Captain," Bayard said, "I'm sure they're fine."

"I know, that's on what worries me." Aurelius had been worried about Cheshire and Nivens for several hours , for they had been gone for that long. The guards were about thirty minutes away.

* * *

><p>Alice, who was with Kovacs inside, talked about the leadership of the place.<p>

"Me?" Alice asked a bit confused. "But I'm not fit to rule anything."

"Cheshire believes in you." Kovacs answered.

"Since when does the word of a mad cat carry any weight around here?" Alice asked as she walked towards the downstairs towards the dungeon where Tarrant was.

"Since always, Cheshire has been a friend of the court for years, granted at times a bit untrustworthy and debatable but a friend of the place."

"Are you sure that we're talking about the same cat here?" Alice said, turning back with a confused looked in her eye.

"Yes," Kovacs answered, "the Queen is dead, Alice, and Cheshire is the sole surviving member of the court left."

"Who did the court consist of?" Alice asked.

"The Queen, her husband, their son, Fuzz, Julius, Aurelius' father, Barnabas, Nivens' father, and Cheshire." Kovacs answered.

"I'm going to see Tarrant," she said, "I heard that Cheshire locked him up."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Alice," Kovacs said. "Cheshire warned me to-"

"To what? Keep me away from him, I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm nineteen years old, I can make my own decisions."

"Yes but can you think through them?" Kovacs asked.

"You're starting to sound just like that cat." Alice said with a scold, "I don't like him."

"Why is that?" Kovacs asked.

"He reminds me too much of my-" Alice stopped herself. She couldn't say the words, 'grandfather'.

Mr. Bishop, who was getting dressed into some more decent clothes in a spare bedroom, came in looking very spiffy and dashing as if he were about to court a young maiden to the ballroom floor. Alice looked over and saw him, she smiled.

"Why, hello Lewis." She said.

"Hello Alice," he replied turning towards the doorway, "how's it coming?" He asked.

"No sign of them yet sir," Aurelius called back, "but they should be close."

The guards were twenty minutes away.

"Pardon me for asking," Alice said, "but have we met before?"

"Can't say we have." Lewis replied. "Why, do you feel like you have?"

Alice nodded. "I think I've seen you with my grandfather, he's in the trading business with China you know, are you in the trading business with China."

"No, I'm a writer actually." Lewis replied.

"Oh," she said with an excited little jump of the feet, books and those who wrote them excited her, "what do you write?" Alice asked.

"Children's nonsensical literature." Lewis answered. "It's about a girl who falls down a rabbit hole."

Alice laughed to herself, "Story of my life."

Lewis nodded with a sigh, "I know what you mean."

* * *

><p>The sun was about to set into darkness when Cheshire and Nivens came up the road. At this time, the Red Guards and Aurelius' men were fighting along the stairs and bridge leading up to the castle.<p>

"Nivens," Cheshire said, "this is your field of expertise, you can handle this can't you?"

Nivens smiled and nodded slightly, "Going to have a chat with our crazy amigo?"

"Something like that." Cheshire answered and he disappeared with the wind.

Nivens rolled his shoulders, took a breath and charged.

* * *

><p>Cheshire appeared inside the castle, the guards had not yet taken siege of the place. Kovacs, Lewis and Alice were talking of something and apparently after much consideration and debate when down into the dungeon.<p>

"No, no, no, no, no!" Cheshire said worriedly as he evaporated and reappeared inside the prison.

This prison, unlike the Red Queen's, was more, jovial, but not by much, but then again, it was a prison, so what do you expect it to be in terms of jovialness?

Tarrant was handcuffed, on his knees and smiling. Wickedly. As if he were the devil and was about to be let loose from the world. A fly was on his windowsill.

"Tarrant," the cat said. "don't do what I think you're going to."

"It's too late Cheshire," Tarrant said, "it has to be done."

"No it doesn't." Cheshire answered.

"Yes it does." Tarrant said.

He looked up at Cheshire, his eyes, pleading, yearning, as if Cheshire, the cat who knew his heart and his head better than he himself, held the world in front of him. Tarrant was looking for answer on his own, he, for a single moment, had the vision that here was the answer staring before him, this cat, who knew his heart and his head better than he himself, was willing to compromise, willing to listen, to a fill a void, a need, a want, something that Tarrant had been missing for eight years of his life, something that he desperately needed to survive. It was like air, water, but more precious and life sustaining.

"It does because if it doesn't, then I will not survive." Tarrant said.

"Tarrant, you know better than I do that you can't do this." Cheshire said, knowing his heart and his head. "If you do then you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"The only regret I have Cheshire," Tarrant said, "is that I haven't done it yet."

"You won't be doing anything with me around." Cheshire answered.

"Why must you always interfere with my problems Cheshire?"

"Because they're my problems Tarrant." Cheshire replied. "I'm your cat."

"You denounced me." Tarrant said.

"Answer me this Tarrant," Cheshire said as he rolled himself over, "when have you ever seen me stay angry at anyone for a long period of time?"

Tarrant thought of the answer, "Um...never."

"Exactly," Cheshire said. "now if you're wondering about whether I will let you out my answer will be no."

"Why!" Tarrant yelled.

"You are mentally unstable Tarrant," Cheshire answered, "and I will not have you commit murder."

"Cheshire, please," Tarrant said, giving him the sympathetic kitten look that he learned from the cat himself, "reconsider my position."

Cheshire smiled raised his eyebrows a bit, as if someone else was in the room and said, "Your position is insulting."

Alice, Lewis, and Kovacs walked in after that. When they saw Cheshire, it was indifference in glares and opinion. Alice was annoyed, Lewis was grateful and confused, while Kovacs was just confused.

"Cheshire," the servant said, "what are you doing here?"

"Miss Alice," the cat said turning to her, "leave."

"What, no I'm here to see Tarrant, you have him locked up here for no reason."

"No, it is a wonderful reason," Cheshire said, "he's trying to kill you."

"No I'm not!" Tarrant cried.

"Yes you will!" Cheshire barked, "we may have had a moment of serenity just now but you are still an insurgent."

Tarrant stood up. "A captured mad man, an insurgent!"

"Yes!" Cheshire looked at him, "If you so much as look at her or move in her direction I'll rip out your vocals, put them in a hangman's noose and leave you there to rot you miserable piece of-"

"Cheshire!"

The cat turned and saw Nivens, he was beaten, bloody, a bit bruised in the eye, his waistcoat torn on the left side and his ear throbbing but sound otherwise walked down the mile towards his brother.

"It doesn't take a genius to hear you screaming." He said. "I don't agree with this Tarrant business either but don't you realize what you've just said?"

"No, what did I say?" Cheshire said in a tone that was forceful but at the same time asking in wonder.

"If I recall correctly," Nivens said, "those were the words that your father said to you and your brother right before he murdered Jean."

"J-J-J-Jean?" Cheshire said this as if he had completely forgotten or never heard his late brother's name before. It was a distant memory to him, a blink.

"Your brother was murdered by your father Cheshire, do you remember that?" Nivens asked.

Cheshire nodded and hung his head, "I do," he cried his tears, "I cry for him every day Nivens." He turned towards Tarrant, "I don't want us to part on ill thanksgivings. Can we forgive, forget and merry?"

Tarrant smiled, "Answer me this one question Cheshire, did you kill my daughter?"

"I believe I have already answered that question." Cheshire said. "Time and time again I have answered it and time and time again you have denied it. It seems that we both that flaw."

"What flaw?" Tarrant asked.

"Of being able not to forgive each other, or threatening our brotherhood with words or knives. We cannot last in this race of resentment, I don't expect to run it much longer, I wasn't breed for it. You weren't either. Believe me when I say that she is at peace- and as she is at peace so must we be at peace."

"I can believe that." Tarrant answered.

"I have reconsidered your position," Cheshire said, "Mister Kovacs, you may release him."

Kovacs exited the room quickly and returned with the keys. He opened Tarrant's cell door and removed Tarrant's handcuffs.

Tarrant walked out slowly and moved towards Alice in an almost seductive manner.

"Cheshire," Tarrant said smiling like the devil again.

"Yes Tarrant?" the cat asked.

"Go fuck yourself." The Hatter charged like a rhino towards Alice and began to grab her neck, slowly choking her and laughing despicably and Nivens and Kovacs tried to pull him off her. Cheshire meanwhile, just stood there watching Lewis, who also stood there watching, he ran back up the staircase. Cheshire wanted to follow him, but he stayed. Tarrant was off Alice and Alice was unmoving on the floor.

"The innocent one," Cheshire said looking at Tarrant, he repeated himself. "Why must you go for the innocent one?" He looked over at the cell, the fly was still there on the windowsill. Cheshire hissed at it. He then floated over towards Alice, Tarrant and the others, looked at Alice and could tell that she would be fine, she wasn't dead but close.

"Kovacs," Cheshire said, "take her to her room, tend to her, Nivens go with him."

They both left with Alice, leaving Cheshire above Tarrant looking down at the sadistic man with condescending eyes. Tarrant was sitting up against the wall.

"Cheshire," Tarrant started to say, "I believe I'm going away."

"It would be best." Cheshire said and left the room without another word.

For the first time in his life, Tarrant had the urge to do himself in. To fade into memory as a mad sadistic man with nothing better to do than cause harm and pain to his friends and family. When he was choking Alice, something in the back of his mind told him that what he was doing was something that he would not be able to cope with, not be able to live with, and not be able to keep going on after. When he saw Cheshire look at him he knew, the unforgiveable sin- the attack on innocence, had been done and over. Tarrant knew that he had fallen from his graces and that Cheshire would not take him into his mercy again. He was given a chance and failed. His madness had consumed him.

For Tarrant Hightopp, this is where the story ends.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Tarrant as he slipped into twilight as the sun hit his face. When Cheshire came in to check on him the cat said nothing as he looked down at Tarrant's vacant body. the fly on the windowsill flew out of the room, buzzing it's wings as it passed. Cheshire watched the fly disappear into the staircase, when the buzzing stopped and all was silent, he spoke:<p>

"Where do we go now? What shall we do with ourselves? Must we continue in this charade of false happiness? I realized too late my error, I should have stayed with you, should have kept you safe from that fly, it was looking at you, calling you to do it. It was I who placed you there in that cell with that pest, I knew it was there. I thought he would consume you. I assumed you were one of the heads. I see that you were merely confused and I see that I was dreadfully blinded by foolish notions. I shall never be able to forgive myself for my mistake of not being your cat- I wasn't there for you. Sorry is the only word I can say that can make me feel any better, but I know that that simple word will not, and will never suffice. Oh Tarrant, you wonderful presumption."

Moments later, Aurelius came down.

"Master Cheshire," he said with a bow and a kneel, "but you are requested."

"Who requests me?" Cheshire asked.

"Alice."

"Is she alright?"

Aurelius sighed and shook his head. "It looks hopeless, Tarrant was stronger than we thought."

Cheshire nodded, "It wasn't his fault, if at all possible whoever is in charge I would like to petition a pardon for him."

"Granted." Aurelius said.

"What do you mean?" Cheshire asked.

"As of right now, you're in charge." Aurelius answered.

"Now," Cheshire said floating towards the staircase, "you are, congratulations King Aurelius."

Aurelius stood up and smiled, "That was the shortest reign of a King, I've ever seen." He laughed and turned back towards the staircase. Before he left the room however, he turned, stopped, and took a bow towards Tarrant, who's body would be removed from the floor twenty minutes later.

A fly, different from the first, began to pick at Tarrant's face, quickly though, it flew out of the window, finding no business there.


	15. Final Passing

**Chapter Fifteen: Final Passing**

Alice was in bed. Nivens, Lewis, and Bayard were at the bedside.

The room was white like the rest of the place, and covered with white curtains that cascaded over the bed, making hills and valleys of Alice's form, which was sculpted by thin sheets and small white flowers which were near her head. It looked like a funeral. It felt like a funeral. Alice was still alive though, just barely.

Cheshire and Aurelius appeared moments later, the room looked towards them in a solemn face of tranquility, as if everyone was somehow okay with it. The cat purred in grave distress, the purr was so loud that Alice opened her eyes and saw him.

"Don't be sad Cheshire." she said sweetly.

Cheshire dematerialized and appeared on her torso. He sat there patiently waiting for an answer. An answer to his heart which was breaking, his head which was hurting, and his eyes produced no greater level of tears.

Alice had been subject to strangulation, a process where oxygen is restricted to the brain and the rest of the body. Eventually there is a shut down and if the person does not recover, it could proof fatal. Alice, was in this state of shock, of reverse recovery. Moments were all she had left.

"Thank you all," she said, "for believing in me. You kept me alive this long in this crazy place." She laughed, "It means so much." She too was crying now, emotionally she did not want to leave, but physically she knew she had too. It was bittersweet.

She turned to Cheshire last and stroked his back. He purred happily, as if to say that: _the world has not ended yet, you still have your moment, say what you need to say. I'll listen._

"Which way should I go?" She asked.

"That depends," Cheshire said, "on where you want to get to."

"Home." She answered.

Cheshire smiled, "You say that as if you were never there to begin with Miss Alice. You were always there, frankly my dear you never left."

"So, this _is _a dream?" She asked.

"Look around here," Cheshire said, "tell me what you see."

She did so and she saw her family. Lewis was her brother, Nivens the protective uncle, Bayard was the family pet, Aurelius was her father, and Cheshire- he was the loyal friend that never left. Alice closed her eyes.

"Thanks for teaching me how to smile." She said and did so.

Cheshire, in honor of her, mimicked the grin and said: "That's my girl."

At ten thirty seven of that morning, Alice Kingsleigh exhaled for a final time. The room bowed in silence, a bell was rung nineteen times and Cheshire escorted her to the neither way.


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Nivens waited by the draw bridge for Cheshire to return. Lewis was next to him.

"Where will you go now?" The rabbit asked.

"I don't know Nivens." Lewis said.

"Well then it really doesn't matter which way you go now does it?"

Cheshire was in front of his two friends and was floating there, smiling from ear to ear.

Lewis extended his hand. "I believe I owe you something in the future."

"The only thing that I ask Mister Bishop," Cheshire said, "is brotherhood."

Lewis Bishop smiled and walked over into the forest. A week later he was in London. A year later, his book was published.

Cheshire and Nivens looked up at the sky and noticed that the clouds were parting and the sun was coming out.

"Nivens."

It was Barney. He appeared with the sun and stood beside them.

"It's time to go home." The elder rabbit said.

"Father," Nivens replied, "no, I don't want to-"

"Yes you do." It was Cheshire who said this.

"W-w-what?" The rabbit asked a bit confused. "No, I have to be here, we still have the Red Queen and the Jabberwocky to deal with."

"Nivens those matters are trivial compared to the matters of here and now. You know just as well as I do that you want nothing more than to see your family. Your wife, you son. You want to see them and you know that if you don't go with him now then you probably never will have the opportunity again."

"I won't go without you Cheshire." Nivens said. "You're my cat."

"Your cat," Cheshire said, "is an evaporating one who can travel in and out of the neither way, Nivens, I think you'll be fine."

"It won't be the same." Nivens replied, "I can never see you again, if I go, you realize this?"

"I do," Cheshire said, "but I know your heart Nivens, go."

"But I-"

"Go!" Cheshire said.

"I don't want to." Nivens said and turned to his father, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Why not?" Barney asked.

"There is still business to be done here." Nivens straightened out his waistcoat and for the second time, Barney left.

The cat and rabbit re-entered the castle.

* * *

><p>Inside the throne room, the sun hit the reflective floor as Aurelius took his place. He stood when Cheshire and Nivens entered and walked towards them.<p>

"The Red Queen has sent a messenger that if Mister Bishop is not returned to her then she will release the Jabberwocky."

"Mister Bishop has left Your Majesty." Cheshire said.

"Find him." Aurelius said. Cheshire and Nivens nodded.

"Cheshire, Nivens," Aurelius said stopping them from leaving, "congratulations, Sir Cheshire, Sir Nivens. Now go, before he gets himself killed."

Cheshire and Nivens left.

When they were out of an earshot, someone entered the room.

"Alright," Aurelius said, "I have done what you asked, now will you leave us alone."

"Not yet." The messenger said. "there is one more thing."

"What?"

The messenger pulled out a knife. Ever. So. Slowly.


	17. Author's Note

**Disclaimer: The characters protrayed in this story, _Cheshire,_ are based off Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" (2010), Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass****" (1865) and belong to said affiliations.**

**This story is fiction.**

* * *

><p>(Originally placed at the end of "Chapter Fourteen: The Files on the Windowsill")<p>

* * *

><p>To the readers, reviewers, friends, colleagues, and cohorts in mischief:<p>

There may be a sequel. I do not know yet. It all depends on my schedule.

Let me say that it has been a pleasure writing this story which I can say has the most reviews than any other story that I've written and has some wonderful people reading it.

I hope it has served the purpose of inspiring people to seek help in whatever situation, to be a friend to those who need it, bring love to those who deserve it, and joy to the world for us all. You are never alone in this world- remember that. You are never alone.

I shall leave you with this.

I hope you have enjoyed this story and continue to inspire the world around you.

I pray glorious happiness for you.

All the best,

Nothing Really Specific

* * *

><p>This story was written for those who are still searching for something more.<p> 


	18. Writer's Soundtrack

**Writer's Soundtrack**

* * *

><p>The music that I listened to while writing this story.<p>

**Alexi Murdoch**

_Song for You_

Shine

_Through the Dark_

_Orange Sky_

_Slow Revolution_

_Some Day Soon_

* * *

><p><strong>Hem<strong>

_Leave Me Here_

_Half Acre_

_Idle (The Rabbit Song)_

_Sailor_

* * *

><p><strong>Mumford and Sons<strong>

_Sigh No More (2009 Album)- Yes, every single song on this album. No sense in putting in every single one when it's just the entire darn thing._

_Babel _

_Hopeless Wanderer_

* * *

><p><strong>Protest Hill<strong>

_Belle's Song_

* * *

><p><strong>Matchbox 20<strong>

_Bright Lights_

* * *

><p><strong>Temper Trap<strong>

_Sweet Disposition_

* * *

><p><strong>Sia<strong>

_Breathe Me_

* * *

><p><strong>Coldplay<strong>

_Major Minus_

_Midnight_

_Fix You_

_The Scientist_

_U.F.O_

**All of these songs can be found on YouTube.**


End file.
